


Scrapyard Rookie

by Pence



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Human Upgraded Connor | RK900, I didn't really want to add this tag but I feel it is appropriate, M/M, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Rape/Non-con Elements, reverse au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2019-08-19 22:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16543430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pence/pseuds/Pence
Summary: “I do not require a partner, Lieutenant,” Nines deadpanned, stretching out Connor’s title in a low, baritone sneer; the mockery of an insult disguising weighted history. “I continue to perform effectively alone, and my record has not a hint of disciplinary action that requires supervision or assistance.”Connor frowned, eyes narrowing unconvincingly as he sat against the corner of the detective’s desk.“… Last week you punched a suspect during a routine interrogation.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why the fuck I'm starting another fic. I just couldn't get it out of my head. I frickin' adore Reverse!AU with human Nines and android Gavin so I couldn't help myself.
> 
> Edit: This is a chaptered fic. I apologize for any confusion I might have caused by forgetting to hit that 'Multi-chapter' tick.

 

 

“You’re going to have to choose a partner eventually, Richard.”

 

The thin walls of his paper cup proved ineffective in preventing the scalding coffee from burning his fingers. It was a pleasant sort of burn--the kind that one welcomed when Detroit was hit with a frigid, wet winter after subsequent years of tempered, mild relief.

Detective Richard Stern, or “Nines” as much of the precinct had been known to call him, was not pleased in having to turn away from his terminal to face the parroted reminder. Lieutenant Connor Anderson, his superior in both career and birthright, appeared unfazed when leveled with his younger brother’s cold glare.

“I do not require a partner, Lieutenant,” Nines deadpanned, stretching out Connor’s title in a low, baritone sneer; the mockery of an insult disguising weighted history. “I continue to perform effectively alone, and my record has not a hint of disciplinary action that requires supervision or assistance.”

Connor frowned, eyes narrowing unconvincingly as he sat against the corner of the detective’s desk.

“… Last week you punched a suspect during a routine interrogation.”

“He was an asshole,” Nines grumbled before turning back his terminal, pulling up the case he’d been reading before his brother’s interruption. “And he confessed. I can handle a strike or two if it’s a means to an end.”

Connor sighed and closed his eyes, tipping his head back in exhaustion as if dealing with a petulant child. And, Lord have mercy, Nines could be just as stubborn.

“Do you think, perhaps, that your way of doing things is what’s holding you back from promotion?” Connor asked aloud, lacing his hands in his lap as he returned his gaze to his brother. The detective’s fingers had stilled upon the terminal, lips pressing into a furious line as the question sunk in.

“Are you calling me a liability, Lieutenant?”

“No. But you know that every choice you make in a case is documented and reviewed. Being reckless isn’t the mark of a lead--”

Nines turned quickly in his chair and glared at Connor, lips pulled into a sneer over clenched teeth.

“Is that your secret then? Play fucking nice, sit on the right laps, and bare your pretty neck for a pay raise?” The detective hissed, hot fury and cold resentment lancing through his piercing words. “Or was it Cyberlife’s influence? Let the android do all the heavy lifting and reap the rewards while warming his co--”

 

_Boom!_

 

Connor’s fist slammed down onto the detective’s desk, echoing loudly throughout the office. Heads turned; eyes tickling the back of his neck, watching, judging. Coffee sloshed within its paper receptacle and dribbled over the cup’s lip, bleeding pale amber into Nines’ paperwork.

“Fuck you, Richard.”

It wasn’t often that Nines found himself lost for words. His mind was normally ever-buzzing, silver tongue readily prepared for a good lashing regardless of confidence. But the intensity by which Connor glared had him floored; cheeks flushed with rising fury, eyes sparkling with tempered rage.

Glancing towards the Lieutenant’s desk, he caught the eye of the topic of conversation. HV400, or Hank as he introduced himself those long months ago, was a peculiar android before and after the revolution. He had the strong build of a bot made for assault but contained the rounded edges of human age.

The rumor mill speculated that Hank was a custom built, repurposed into a law enforcement android due to his state of the art processor. Others guessed that his original assignment had been as a domestic bot, specifically in childcare, given his “teddy bear” appearance.

Regardless of his original assignment, Nine found himself thankful that none required laser beams as the android’s glare was killer; LED flickering a pissed-off red.

Shame prickled the hairs on the detective’s arms as he looked away, catching one eye after the other as he glanced around the room. Even Fowler, within his stilted, glass tower, was watching the two with a resigned grimace, mug held up mid-sip.

A painful, hot jolt shot through Nines’ chest, spreading behind his ears and down to the tip of his toes. Anxiety was an old friend to the detective and to have every person in the room know his shame, fear, anger was…. unacceptable.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” Connor sighed, eyes falling shut as he sat back, bringing his hand up to scrub fingers over the lids. “You’re not. You can only be sorry so many fuc--... so many times, Richard. I’m tired.”

Nines was quiet as he stared at a freckle kissing Connor’s neck, unable to bring himself to look the man in the eyes. His jaw set in anger; frustrated at his break in confidence.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be working with the service androids already employed by the DPD,” The Lieutenant instructed, dropping his hand away as he spoke, gaze unforgiving and stern.

This caught his attention enough to glance reluctantly into Connors' face, brows knitting in troubled confusion. “They were programmed for civilian crime and management. They wouldn’t know the first thing about detect--”

“It’s a pretty good thing androids are fast learners, huh?” The older brother hummed, lips twitching in muted amusement as Nines’ expression only darkened in dissatisfaction. “Look, we don’t have any qualified humans we can immediately pair with you. So, in the meantime, you’ll work with an android.”

Nines opened his mouth to protest but was interrupted by Connor hopping to his feet, arms folding behind his back.

A smile formed on the Lieutenant’s face as he stared down at his little brother; his subordinate.

“Consider it a test in playing nice.”

Nines grimaced at Connor’s back the entire walk back to his desk, before returning his eyes to his terminal and soaked ruined paperwork.

He released a huff of hot air through his nose, itching for a cigarette.

 

“Fuck.”

 

\-----

 

Exhaustion battled the caffeine surging through his veins, sending tremors across his muscles as his heart slammed against his ribs. The sound of his brother’s fist pounded with every beat; the whisper of guilt screaming in his face.

Leaning back into the car seat, Nines pressed twin thumbs to his temples and applied pressure against the incessant, throbbing ache. It didn’t help, it never helped; but it felt good to try, if only for that shred of psychosomatic relief.

Dropping his hands, Nines’ head fell back against the headrest as he rested his eyes, thankful for the shroud of darkness of which midnight blessed. Perhaps Connor had a point when it came to having a partner.

While he held the record for closed cases and was a beast on the field, the more quiet and mundane aspects of the job could be a struggle. Paperwork was ravenous and time-consuming. Responsibilities and penalties weighed heavily on a single man’s shoulders.

And…

Stakeouts were fucking boring.

Opening his eyes, the detective glared pointless out of the windshield; frost gathering in the corners as chill reclaimed the vehicle in the night. Detroit’s android dump--or ‘The Graveyard’--was quiet and still below where he’d parked; slumbering eternally as rust and earth reclaimed it.

Operations had long ceased and equipment that might have once crushed, ripped, deposited discarded androids was reclaimed by rust and ice. No LED or light stirred in the darkness below; only the eerie, glowing ghosts of metal limbs beneath the reflection of the moon off of snow.

Sighing through his nose--ignoring the tempting puff of air that lingered and flirted with old habits--Nines took up his thermos and burned his tongue pleasantly on his coffee. Heat spread through his chest and offered small solace in its warmth.

Over the past two weeks, he’d tried to “play nice” per Connor’s instruction. He tried.

He tried.

Where pre-revolution DPD’s android staff might have waited docile at their charging stations for a call or snap of the finger, today they were unnervingly human. CV200, or Chris Miller as he had filed upon official employment, had been pleasant enough to work with.

At any request from the human detective, Chris had hopped to task and worked diligently to please. He was friendly, polite, and always had a smile ready for the detective upon arrival in the mornings.

Nines fucking hated it.

WT900, Tina, had been refreshing, for a time.  
Her callous regard for many of her android brethren was impressive, especially when paired with a relatively relaxed attitude concerning work. It was amusing, to say the least, in watching the woman talk shit about ‘fucking emotionless plastics’ or defy minor requests from Nines on the basis of ‘It’s not because of the freed android thing--you’re just being lazy’.

She’d understood when he’d returned her to civilian duty, even going so far as to jokingly ask, “Is this one of those ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ moments?”

  
Tina had laughed all the way back to her charging station at his blunt, “It’s you.”

He enjoyed the idle lingering and chit-chat he’d gained out of the experience. Tina was alright.

Connor and Hank had briefly flirted the idea of trying out CA700, or Allen from the DPD’s SWAT unit out as Nines’ partner--if only for a good laugh--but were quickly declined by both android and detective alike.

“He tags ‘em and I bag ‘em,” Allen had shrugged when faced with Connor’s obvious disappointment. “It seems like a dynamic that’s already working as intended. Also, I’d rather rip out my own thirium pump than commit to desk work. No offense.”

Days later, in the dark and the cold, a thermos was lifted to the android in wordless ‘cheers’.

When a lead had come in during the lapse between partners, Nines could have easily recruited one of the androids to accompany him on the stakeout. Could have easily notified the Lieutenant of his intentions or risks.

But he wouldn’t really be filling that ‘lone wolf, stereotypical asshole’ designation if he had, now would he?

Either way, the lead was proving to be as cold as the night’s chill given the little movement he’d seen upon parking his car some hours ago. The Graveyard was the perfect, cliched backdrop for this alleged weapons exchange--and, perhaps, his perps had realized their folly in choosing such a location.

The itch for a cigarette returned in full force as he exhaled another visible sigh, fatigue begging for his nicotine rattled brain. The more profound, more sordid need for a stronger fix existed in recesses of his mind--but it was quickly dispersed by the clicking of his door opening.

Snow, untouched by all but his car’s tires, crunched beneath the soles of his boots as he stepped out into the night for air. Cold stung his cheeks as he pulled his scarf up around his chin, fingers protected by warm, fitted gloves.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Nines sucked a deep drag of crisp air into his lungs, attempting to wake up his sluggish brain. Stepping forward-- _crunch, crunch, crunch_ \--brought Nine’s to the edge of the pit, toes threatening the sudden dip in the earth.

It was strange and slightly discomforting, to see the humanoid figures buried beneath the elements below. Grasping fingers frozen in place, clawing towards the heavens. Shoulders huddled together in intimate rest. It was unsurprising that many of today’s androids, in the face of their deaths, planned for memorials after the donation of their usable components.

To end up here…

Unimaginable.

A small circle was drawn into the snow as he turned to head back to his car, prepared for another insufferable hour when headlights flashed from up the road. If he’d struggled to get his brain working before, the adrenaline that shot through his body did the trick.

Cursing under his breath upon realizing he wouldn’t be able to get back to his car in time, the detective turned and slid down into the pit. Metal from god-knows-what tore at the seat of his pants and threatened his stumbling feet--but he touched down all the same.

The sound of a heavy, thumping bass sounded from over the lip of the pit; wheel crunching a vehicle drew to a grunting halt. Nines pulled his shoulder low as he weaved around the broken limbs of long-dead android. A particular heap, covered in sparkling snow, proved to be a decent enough hiding place despite his large and apparently out of place frame.

The muffled music within the car died down as the engine was killed, the sound of multiple doors cracking open echoing over the quiet expanse.

From where he was crouched, Nines could make out the forms of three human men. Red flickered as a lighter was lit and the end of a cigarette set aflame. The driver leaned against the hood of the car as the remaining two figures rounded to the back and popped the trunk.

With the dump on the outskirts of the city, the ever-present ambient noise was reduced to a distant whisper--which made it surprisingly easy to pick up their conversation from this odd-distance away.

“Hurry up. I’m freezing my fuckin’ balls off here.”

There was a grunt and the sound of something dragging violently against the snow.

“You can fucking blame the boss if one of your nuts breaks off,” Came a furious growl, voice bouncing with effort and frustration. “He’s the fuckin’ moron who thought this fuckin’ plan would pan out.”

Brows knitting, Nines leaned forward to get a better look at what they were up to. His blood ran colder than the wind running fingers down the nip of his scarf.

They were dragging a struggling man to the pit’s edge.

No. An android.

Angry red flashed at the temple of the struggling figure, arms wrenched behind his back by two pairs of arms. His heels proved useless as they dragged through the snow, shoulders jerking for release. Ugly static erupted from the android in place of words, no doubt due to a broken voice modulator.

Nines tensed as a gun was pulled from within the smoking man’s jacket.

“Hey! We ain’t fuckin’ shooting the bot,” The third man interrupted, releasing the android into the care of the other as he went to stand in front of the armed man. “If anyone comes pickin’ around this place and finds an android with a bullet between its eyes, that spells trouble for us.”

The armed man pushed off the car and stepped into the space of his protestor.

“We’re already in enough fuckin’ trouble by messin’ with this bot, Victor. They find this android here in /any/ condition, and we got pigs sniffin’ our trail either way.”

Despite his snarls, the gun was stored away, and the cigarette nursed once more.

Victor’s shoulder sagged in relief before he turned back to the struggling android. In the brief confrontation, he’d had a heavy boot kicked into the back of his shin, sending him crashing to his knees. A tired sigh sounded from the human as angry static only grew louder.

Crouching in front of their captive, the human rested his arms on his knees. “Sorry about this, bud. I ain’t an android hater but you’ve become a bit of a liability, you have.”

Victor’s hand reached from the android’s thirum pump in tandem with Nines reaching for his gun. But what could he do? There was no way he could handle three armed men who had the high ground…

Nines cringed as the static pierced through the night air. The silence that followed was just as penetrating.

The android sagged in the human’s hold as the regulator was tossed into the pit, pinging loudly against the frozen limbs and bodies it would soon be joining. Perhaps a sick coincidence or by the hand of a malevolent God, the detective frowned as the device rolled to a stop beside him.

The body was dropped next, rolling painfully into the pit before landing in a twisted heap.

The men stood over the edge for a moment more, watching the small twitches of the android before turning back to their car.

“Still think we should have shot it.”

Victor’s voice was the last to sound over the morbid scene. “Fucking get in the car and drive, Buck. And put that out before you do--you smell like shit.”

Nines remained frozen as the car engine roared to life, hand resting still on his gun. As the music picked up once more and thumped away in the distance, the detective slowly eased out of his hiding place to pick up the regulator.

All was silent by the time he climbed to his feet and made his way through the snow-covered Graveyard towards where the android had been deposited. A short sigh of relief passed over his lips when his eyes caught sight of the flickering red of the android’s LED--before he noticed the amount of thirium that trailed down the bank of the pit.

Cursing under his breath, Nines jogged the rest of the way and fell to his knees at the android’s side. Grabbing its shoulder, he gave its frame a heave in an attempt to turn it onto it’s back.

Instead, he got punched in the jaw, head jerking to the side at the sheer force of the hit.

“What the fuck!”

Whipping his head back, Nines glared into the equally angry expression of the android; a blue, bleeding, glowing scar sliced diagonally across its his nose. The fury in the android’s face was lackluster at best, eyes dropping as he struggled to remain awake with thirium continuing to pool and flood from his chest.

“I’m trying to help, you fucking moron,” Nine hissed, holding up the regulator for the android to see. The detective decided not to question the other's flinch as he used his free hand to grasp the android’s shoulder, pushing the pump in with a twist-and-click.  
Yellow flickered briefly in the android’s LED before returning once more to red.

Nines grimaced at the blueblood coating his gloves but turned his attention more fully to the android who slowly pushed himself up from the ground.

“Are you alright?”

Silence.

“Do you have a name?”

Silence. Glare.

Nines frowned. “Why were they trying to kill you.”

Static buzzed at the android mouthed something, the cut across his nose wrinkling as his expression grew sour. As he attempted to pick himself up onto his feet, he wavered and fell back onto his ass with a frustrated crackle.

The detective opened his mouth to ask another question when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Closing his eyes, Nine grumbled about ‘fucking nosy bastard’ as he retrieved the device from his pocket. He’d half expected to see Connor’s name listed, asking if he’d eaten dinner or some other fucking vanilla, familial question.

Instead, he got an unknown number and--

 

_< Fk you, meatbag.>_

 

Nines blinked in surprise, staring at the message with the incredulous raise of his brows. Who the fuck--

 

_< I’m GV200. My name is Gavin.>_

 

The detective’s head jerked up, glancing at the smirking android. His laughter came out in small bursts of static, shoulders shaking despite their exhausted sag.

“Gavin?”

 

_< thumbsup.emoji, okayhand.emoji, wink_tongueout.emoji>_

_< Current Condition: Thirium Levels Critically Low (38%) - Please contact Cyberlife immediately>_

_< BTW, I’m passing out now.>_

 

Nines barely finished reading the message before the weight of the android hit his chest, sending them both into the snow in an intimate heap. As the cold of the ground traveled up his thighs, the detective sat frozen with the dead weight of the android cradled in his arms.

A final buzz sounded as the LED went into the slow, pulsing yellow of stasis.

 

_< Don’t take me to Cyberlife. Thanks.>_

 

Nines blinked down at the phone, eyes wide and jacket slowly soaking through with warm thirium.

What the fuck?

**“What the fuck?!”**

 

The Graveyard offered no answer aside from the slow circle of yellow at the android’s temple.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reception that the first chapter received was mind blowing and I appreciate everyone's support on this! Here's hoping I don't let you down with the coming chapters. Fingers crossed.

 

 

The drive back to the precinct was uneventful and, if Nines was honest with himself, completely unnerving.

 

There existed something surreal and foreboding when the downtown streets of bustling Detroit were void of life. In Summer, the android population of the city might be out-and-about given the many 24-hour establishments that had cropped up post-revolution.

But Winter was unforgiving--and even sentient computers were smart enough to lock away the cold to keep their biocomponents warm n’ toasty.

Nines rolled his shoulder as he drove, gritting his teeth as he felt a muscle near his collar pop painfully. While he was a relatively fit man and kept to a rigorous workout schedule, dragging the dead weight of an android up the frozen bank of a dump wasn’t something one could easily train for.

Hank, Connor’s android partner/lover/whatever, had once commented that his obsession with health was both concerning and hypocritical given the amount of sugar the detective took in his coffee.

The android was ushered away by Connor when Nines verbally presumed that the bot was just pissed about being an eternal fatass.

Nines smirked to himself within the darkness of his car, amused at memory alone of that red, flashing LED.

His smirk fell when sickly yellow reflected dangerous, slow circles in the passenger window.

Glancing to his right, the detective frowned at the limp slump of the GV200, Gavin. It had been a pain and a half keeping the unconscious bot upright to properly buckle him in--and even now, his body threatened the belt’s limits as it leaned heavily into the door.

The interior of the car illuminated in succinct pattern as they passed under streetlight after streetlight, revealing an uncomfortably calm and slack expression. Could have easily passed for slumber had the tear across the android’s nose not bled a slow blue or LED crown his temple.

  
_< Current Condition: Thirium Levels Critically Low (38%) - Please contact Cyberlife immediately>_

 

The detective’s fingers clenched on the wheel, gloves creaking as they tightened over his knuckles. Frustration left a bitter taste on Nines’ tongue as he tried to fit the odd, android-shaped peg into what he already knew of his case.

It should have been as cookie-cutter as the rest of the gangs and cartels that tried to exploit a recovering city. Fancy themselves a proper organization while selling product with little regard to secrecy or faction. Groups seeking to make a profit in these times were not uncommon, and his latest case reflected the same patterns one often found in green criminal organizations.

He was dealing with a group prideful of the latest tech and weaponry they were trying to hawk on the streets of Detroit; often dealing with the same gangs he’d booked in the past few months. It had been easy enough to trace various killings and their subsequent murder weapons having originated from this particular group’s product.

So why the android?

While it wasn’t uncommon to find anti-android sentiment within these circles, trying to off this android didn’t fit their particular MO.

 

_“You can fucking blame the boss if one of your nuts breaks off . . . He’s the fuckin’ moron who thought this fuckin’ plan would pan out.”_

 

Shifting on his blinker, Nines watched as Gavin’s slid mid-turn, chin rolling across his chest with the momentum.

His stomach gave a small churn as he glanced back out the windshield at the approaching police headquarters, fingers tapping nervously to a soundless melody. Gavin--the android might know what this botched plan consisted of.

Hell, he might be the smoking gun Nines needed in solving this once and for all.

If he couldn’t save the android, he could at least book his body as evidence.

The car was plunged into deafening silence after he killed the engine upon parking; nighttime chill caressing the window’s sealing as the car’s heater whirred to a stop. Gavin slept on, unfazed by the cold press of the glass to his temple or the icy eyes of the man sitting at his side.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, the detective closed his eyes and counted quietly to himself, willing away the irrational tickle of anxiety he carried with him at all times. Without an audience, there existed no walls or bitter words to hide behind. Just a sleepy android and his own reflection in the rearview mirror.  
It took an extra second to spur himself into action, cracking the door open after a small nod to no one. His brisk steps to the front door were awkward as he battled the slick pavement sliding beneath the soles of his boots--thankful of the slumbering city and the lack of eyes on his back.

Heat struck his frozen cheeks as he pulled open the door to the lobby; an almost painful tingle running up his arms at the sudden solace of warmth. His aching muscles began to whisper their protest as passed around the metal detector, ignoring the smile of recognition the receptionist android shined his way.

The usual hustle and bustle of the precinct was gone, replaced by a hanging, haunting silence. In place of ringing phones and clicking keyboards, there only existed the slow rumble of the building’s heating system and the soft whir of idle computers.

Mostly idle.

Excluding his own.

“What the hell are you doing, Chen?”

Legs kicked up onto his desk, Tina spun just enough to glance back to the detective, cheek lulling on her shoulder. A bottle of thirium hung lazily in her grasp as a video from what appeared to be the early-thousands played silently on his terminal.

“I’m on break.”

“At my desk?”

“Y’know, normal humans go home, kiss their wives, take fucking naps,” Tina yawned needlessly, rolling her shoulder as she kicked her legs off of his paperwork and turned more fully to face the man. “But here you are. I think it’s more appropriate I ask what the hell you’re doing here.”

The android’s smirk contrasted the sour twist that pulled onto Nines’ face, irritation and exhaustion buzzing in his ears.

“I don’t have time for this,” The human grumbled, reaching up to press his fingers against his eyes. “Where is the Cyberlife repair kit stored for our service ‘droids?”

“Why do you need--”

Tina’s words died on her tongue as his hand dropped back to his side, glower evident that he wasn’t up for further questions. Mouth pulling into a thin line, Tina’s eyes flickered over the tired detective before climbing to her feet.

“Why are you covered in blood?”

The detective flushed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he bristled. While thirium faded away after exposure to oxygen, it was hard to hide trace evidence from the all-seeing eyes of androids.

“It’s a long story. I need the kit, Tina.”

“Now hold on. Did you kill someone, Nin--”

“No,” Nines interrupted, growling firmly through gritted teeth; tempered rage battling the thin walls of his patience. “Just… Help me, and I’ll fill you in on the details.”

The detective's eyes flickered between the golden stutter of the android’s LED and the soft gnaw of her lips as she mulled over his offer. Relief battled away the worst scenarios from popping into his head when the woman relaxed and shrugged bodily.

“Color me curious,” She sighed before grabbing her jacket off the back of his chair.

 

“Lead the way, cowboy.”

 

\-----

 

It wasn’t often that Nines found himself grateful for android assistance--however, dragging the injured bot into the building with Tina’s added strength made the job a little more bearable.

The attendant at the front desk had been wise enough not to ask questions as the deadweight of the android was carried between them, looking worriedly to her screen as if ignoring the situation didn’t prove her culpable in whatever plot was going on.

The slow drip of thirium pinging off of tile haunted the detective as they laid the GV200 out on the metal table of the interrogation room; bright light casting the android in a sickly, white pallor.

Standing over Gavin, Nines frowned as he finally got a good look at the android without the loom of night’s shadow.

He was relatively attractive, as most androids were built to be. Muscular shoulders, tapered waist, strong jaw.

“He’s a custom,” Tina hummed from across the table, stating a fact that was quite obvious to the human detective. Her fingers trailed the dirtied jacket clinging to Gavin’s frame, pulling back the lapel to reveal the glowing, standard blue LED indicating his serial number.

G200. No further numbers that would typically indicate an android's version or release date graced the glowing font.

“Well, that’s weird.” Nines agreed, glancing up to Tina before taking a closer look at the slumbering android.

Shorter stature, light facial hair, a broken or poorly fused bone in the bridge of his nose. They were peculiar features to include in an android--which begged the question of his origin and previous owner.

Nines sighed, fingers curling into the lining of his pockets as his weight shifted from one foot to the other. “Are you able to run a diagnostic on another android?”

The officer released a sound of consideration as she rounded the table to stand at the detective’s side, shoulders brushing as she leaned down to take a closer look at the cut tearing across Gavin’s face.

“He’s still alive, so I should be able to interface with him while in stasis,” Tina replied before jerking her thumb back to a large, imposing briefcase set onto one of the interrogation room’s chairs. Cyberlife glowed in blocky letters on its side. “Get a couple packets of thirium open while I check this guy out. You’ll want to pour them down his throat.”

Nines blinked mid-turn, glancing back to Tina as the skin retracted from her hand.

“Down his what?” He asked incredulously, irritation prickling at the smirk pulling onto her lips. His question went ignored as the woman took hold of the android’s hand, closing her eyes as his own skin melted away to reveal the haunting plates of his knuckles.

Shaking his head, Nines grumbled to himself as he retrieved the spare packets, unsure of how many would be required to replenish the android. Tina remained still as he returned to her side, eyes shifting beneath her lids mid interface.

It was both a disconcerting and envious ability to the detective. To merely grab hold of a suspect and rip the truth out of them in one fell swoop. Of course, even with android officers, there were matters of ethical and legal complications revolving around the practice--but lord he’d take the slap on the wrist for that power.

  
Tearing open the first packet with his teeth, Nines shuddered at the strange copper taste as it bled across his tongue. Shifting behind the GV200, neither android reacted as he sat the man up with a grunt and leaned his head back against his shoulder.

It took a little finagling to pry the android’s lips apart--noting faded damage to Gavin’s otherwise rosy lips--before he was able to tip the contents of the first packet down his throat.

Tina ripped her hand away by the time Nines was biting open the second.

 

**“You asshole!”**

 

The detective froze, glancing to Tina who was glaring furiously at the android leaning against his chest. Her anger dissolved quickly as her shoulders sagged and shook with laughter, skin regrowing up her fingers as she covered her grin behind her hand.

“Tina?”

“He kicked me out! Fuckin’ booted me with a raised middle finger and a ‘parasitic bitch’,” She howled, body curling forward to slap her knee, ignorant to the furrow of Nines’ brow.

“Were you able to get a read on his diagnostics?” He asked, fingers pressing gently to the android’s throat as he tilted his head back further to receive the second packet.

The officer nodded, wiping an artificial tear from her eyes as her laughter settled into sporadic giggles. “The majority of the thirium was lost when his pump was removed so he should be fine once it’s replenished. His voice modulator is busted and requires a full replacement. Same goes for his right audio receptor. He did note damage to his actual exoskeleton which will result in scarring. The artificial nerves that control our skin simulation are built into this plating, so it likely won’t be able to cover those damaged areas.

Frowning, Nines glanced down to the cut along the android’s nose.

He didn’t account for the android to be staring back.

Gavin snarled static as he was dropped immediately to the table, catching himself on his forearms as the detective released him in surprise. Nines flushed as Tina laughed, both subject to the startled and furious glares of the injured android.

It was strange to the detective how human and ugly the sneer that pulled across the android's face was. In a world in which androids were the perfect companions, workers, lovers--to create something that didn’t emulate perfect, that was designed with flaws and tears was bizarre.  
It was something to ponder later.

Coming back to his senses, Nines cleared his throat as he attempted to salvage the last of his composure. “GV200, state your current thirium levels.”

The android’s shoulders locked as he glanced back to the human detective, anger muting into a passive, neutral frown. Static buzzed once more in his throat as he opened his mouth to speak, nose wrinkling in frustration at his inability to form words.

Stormy eyes flickering around the room, Gavin’s LED flashed between yellow and red before his eyes landed on the still giggling Tina.

“Huh? Oh!” Tina blinked, startled out of her stupor as her LED flickered yellow. “My thirium levels currently sit at … _Non’ya fuckin’ business_. Oh, I like him.”

Nines appeared unimpressed by the mirth tickling the woman, ignorant to the small smirk that threatened the injured android’s lips.

“We can’t help you unless you--Where the hell are you--”

Kicking his legs off the table, the android made to jump to his feet--only to stumble into Tina’s arms under his own weight. His fingers tightened into the uniformed fabric of her jacket, discomfort crossing his features.

“Whoa, slow down there, buddy,” Tina hummed, helping to straighten him back up enough to distribute his weight evenly. “You’re gonna be hard pressed walking out of here til we replace your audio receptor. Walking prey without a properly working vestibular system.”

“Do we have the components readily available?” Nines asked, hands folding into his pockets as he stared at the hair tickling the nape of the android’s neck. Icy blue flickered up to the red LED kissing his temple.

“We don’t know much about his model so who knows,” Tina shrugged, forcing Gavin to haul himself back up onto the metal table. “Generally, audio receptors are pretty universal among androids--even customs. If he told us who his previous owner was or maybe contact Cybe--”

Nines and Tina cringed as a monstrous, grating ‘ **No** ’ crackled out of the injured android, stormy eyes furiously looking between the two officers. Raising her hands in front of herself, the woman nodded.

“Alright, alright. Fuck Cyberlife, got it.”

Gavin relaxed minutely, fingers curling into the fabric of his pants.

Nines sighed, reaching up to rub at his eyes. A quick glance to the clock revealed just how later (or early) it was. Lord, the sun would be rising in a matter of hours…

“Lets… see about getting that component for him,” The detective suggested, dropping his hand only to bristle as his gaze met Gavin’s, unable to look away. “Maybe a change of clothing too. I have questions that need answering.”

The android glowered at Nines, distrust and exhaustion pulling heavily at the corners of his mouth.

Tina shrugged, folding her arms behind her back. “We probably have something that’ll fit him, but I think the most important question we should be asking: What the fuck do we do with him? You said he was part of this case, right? Can’t book him as evidence, can’t arrest him without probable cause…”

The human frown and bit at his thumbnail, staring the android down as the cogs turned in his head. Missed the blue flush that tickled Gavin’s cheeks under the scrutiny as he turned away.

It was a valid enough question. Legally, there was nothing he could do to keep the android from running off into the night. Couldn’t shut him down and hang him in the basement or toss him in a cell before throwing away the key…

Perhaps…

 _Oh._ That might work.

Connor's words, no matter their sarcasm, echoed in the back of his mind.

 

_“It’s a pretty good thing androids are fast learners, huh?”_

 

“...How would you like a job, Gavin?”

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for the delay on ALL of my fics. I had a family emergency during Thanksgiving week that really killed my drive to write. I'm hoping y'all will accept my apology with this chapter. 
> 
> Thank you for the wonderful response I have gotten so far on this fic! It's truly humbling.

 

 

  
“So, are you a fucking psychopath or just stupid?”

 

Typically, when arriving at the office, Nines was accustomed to quiet greetings or utter dismissal. After three hours of restless sleep and a hot shower that had done little more than brew lethargy in his already exhausted stupor, he might have preferred the precinct’s general disregard over a cheery hello.

But he wasn’t expecting a gruff, rich-toned bite to the throat.

Blinking around the spots in his vision, the detective slid slowly from his dazed sleepwalk to glance up towards the source of the rude greeting; tired irritation lacing venom on his tongue.

The ‘ _go fuck yourself’_ died before having the chance to breach his lips.

The GV200 lounged in the detective’s chair, legs crossed at the ankles in lazy resignation as his arms folded tightly against a navy uniformed chest.

 

Whole, repaired, _vocal_.

 

In the early hours of the previous night (or morning should he choose to forgo layman’s terms), Nines had received the quite-literal kick in the ass out of the office by his fellow officer. _‘You’re exhausted and not much help to me as a fuckin’ zombie,’_ She’d chided with a shove towards the door and a mischievous glint that haunted him during the drive home. _’Go get some rest while I fix your trash bot up.’_

The last he’d seen of the two bots were twin smirks of amusement before the door was slammed in his face.

It seems Tina had been faithful to her word if the grating static that had poured from the android’s throat was now replaced by an oddly familiar, chiding tone.

“Are you fuckin’ deaf?”

“Huh? No, I--”

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Nines fought for words as his eyes raked over the android, fully conscious that he was being similarly sized up. When Tina had assumed that they had clothing lying around the precinct, he’d been expecting a raid of the lost-and-found; perhaps an outfit left over by one of the many junkies they dragged in from the streets most nights.

What he hadn’t expected was a well-fitting police uniform that most of the android officers continued to wear. It wasn’t an overly defining piece nor one designed to catch the wandering, perverse eye--but it was admittedly flattering on the android.

The navy colorings of the fabric brought out the dusting of freckles and sun-kissed synthetic skin that was undoubtedly intentional by the GV200’s mysterious creator. The customizable name tag glowing at this breast displayed his serial number and was captioned by a simple ‘G. Reed’ as his designation.

Reed?

Flickering his gaze upward, Nines felt the prickle of something on the back of his neck as he met the calculating, stormy gray of untrusting eyes; the blue tinted scar across the android’s nose pulling as they narrowed irritably.

The detective cleared his throat as he was once again thrust into reality.

“I mean--Excuse me?”

The android didn’t appear flattered or merciful to his tired confusion, legs uncrossing as he sat up from his previous slouch. Nines once again found himself confused when Gavin’s expressive arm-wave brewed amusement in his gut.

“What’s your game here, meatbag?”

“I don’t play games,” Nines was quick to respond, finding his footing as he walked the final few steps to his desk in order to place his mug down with a gentle tip-tap. “Perhaps it would be more beneficial for both of us if you ask your question outright.”

The android’s neck craned backward as he kept his gaze level with the human’s; an unspoken challenge offered between them--a bet to look away first.

“Really? Because offering a job to some beat-to-shit android ain’t already a fuckin’ laugh, huh?” Gavin drawled, fingers tapping a silent beat to his forearms as he sneered, lips curling into a smirk that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

When Nines offered little reaction to the android’s sarcasm, his smile fell away into a far more genuine grimace. “I could be some unstable, human-eating terminator for all you know.”

The detective let out a soft hum of understanding, sitting against the side of his desk as he watched the expressive bot.

“And are you?”

“What? No.”

“Then why are you offering the scenario?” Nines asked, taking up his mug to sip idly at its embarrassingly sweet contents. His nose wrinkled briefly as the coffee scalded his tongue; ignorant to the flicker of the android’s eyes and a brief swirl of yellow at his temple.

Gavin appeared to hesitate, mouth hanging open for the breath of a moment before snapping closed into a thin line. “I was being hypothe--Whatever. Why the fuck did you offer me a job? What if I already have a job?”

“Do you?” Nines asked, voice muffled against the plastic lid of his mug. “Are you implying that I should have left you to d--”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“No. You’re free to go at any time--but I’m of the impression that doing so would be rather inconvenient or dangerous for you.”

Uncrossing his arms, the android stood and reversed their positions, rising ever so slightly on his toes to glare down at the human detective. Burning anger clashed with uncaring ice as they held their ground, allowing time to still as they fought soundlessly for dominance.

Nines remained stoic and silent as the android’s fingers curled into his scarf and yanked him microscopically closer. “Dangerous because of those shitheads or because of yo--”

“ **STERN**!”

Gavin blinked in confusion as the human detective simultaneously choked on his coffee, shoulders squaring defensively. The android released the human as he beat his fist against his chest coughing, cheeks flushing in embarrassment at the abrupt mood change.

Nines chose to ignore the soft, concerned grasp of his arm amid his coughs as he sat up enough to glance back towards the Captain’s office.

“Y-yeah?”

Fowler didn’t appear remotely amused or forgiving at the dusting across the detective’s cheeks, brows furrowed and glare furious.

“Get your ass in my office. Now. You too Chen! Anderson!” The Captain barked, turning his gaze to a confused Connor, having just arrived, and a not-so-confused Tina who had been attempting to disconnect herself from the charging stations as discreetly as possible.

Tina smiled sheepishly at Nines as he turned to face her. “So I have a small confession,” She murmured, rubbing the back of her neck.

“What’s going on, Richard?” Connor asked, bagged donut still in hand and snow dusting the shoulders of his coat.

“Oh shit, you’re in trouble,” Gavin hummed, amusement dripping heavily from his tone.

Connor turned as his own partner approached, coat halfway off his shoulders. “There were no more spots in the parking lot, so I needed to park down the-- **What the fuck?!** ”

The GV200 parroted the older model’s exclamation. _“What the fuck!”_

It was Nines’ turn to glance between the two androids, stomach rolling as confusion, anxiety, and outright exhaustion attempted to put him out of commission. Hank and Connor stared at Gavin in genuine shock, the bag slipping from the Lieutenant's fingers and plopping to the tile below.

The HV200 appeared to be at a loss for words, LED flashing a fiery red.. “I-I… What the fu--I ki--”

Gavin appeared similarly shocked, his own LED blinking with concern as stress levels likely rose.

“Scratch that,” He breathed, turning his gaze from the stunned pair to a confused Nines.

  
_“I’m in trouble.”_

 

\-----

 

  
**“What the fuck!”**

 

Nines closed his eyes as Fowler’s fist slammed down on his desk, voice booming within the glass walls of the office. Connor’s elbow brushed his own as they sat in the twin chairs in front of the man; the androids mingling in different corners of the office as they watched nervously.

Tina continued to shoot short glances toward the door, LED flashing a nervous yellow at the outright fury pouring from the Captain. The newest android stood closest to Nines, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the angry man.

Hank stood the furthest away, eyes trained only on the GV200 as his LED flashed red--expression unreadable. Connor shot short, worried glances back to his partner but kept his ultimate attention on the towering Captain.

“Explain this to me again--” The Captain deflated, pressing his fingers against his temple.

Nines clearing his throat, ignoring the sudden burn of multiple eyes on him. “I was conducting a stakeout--”

“On your own.”

“Yes, on my own. When I--”

“Without notifying Lieutenant Anderson.”

“Y-yes, and--”

“Or me,” The Captain interrupted again, sitting down with a grunt and crossing his arms across his broad chest. “Do you have any fucking idea how stupid that was? What if you were caught or hurt? Emergency services need to fucking be notified and prepared shoul--”

“I had no plans of engaging anyone, Captain Fowler,” Nines interrupted, sitting up further in his seat as stubbornness began to consume the final shreds of his humility. “It was simply a fact-finding miss--”

“Don’t bullshit me, Stern,” The Captain snapped, leaning forward to poignantly glare at the detective. “I won’t have fucking idiots who think themselves loose cannons or lone wolfs trapezing all over protoco--”

Tina stepped forward, raising her hands defensively as she spoke. “Captain, Detective Stern returned unharmed to the station. Protocol or not, I don’t believe he put himself in any real dang--”

“And you!” Fowler boomed, jabbing a finger in the officer’s direction as half the room jumped at the sudden yell. “You think your shit don’t stink just because you’re an android? I have fucking cameras in my office for a reason. Do you truly believe I wouldn’t notice a new android within the ranks?”

Tina’s cheeks flushed blue as she fumbled with the inner lining of her uniform’s pockets, ignoring the incredulous glance from Nines below her.

The two spoke in hushed tones despite their active audience.

_“You broke into his office?”_

_“Look, it was a last minute idea! I thought it was foolproof!”_

_“You could have just put him in a holding--”_

“And you...” Fowler interrupted the two, turning his gaze to the android in question. Gavin frowned and glanced around the room as all eyes turned towards him; his own gaze lingering for a moment too long on Hank before being further addressed the Captain.

“Who the **fuck** are you?”

“Holy shit, my dude,” The android hummed, reaching up to scratch at the corner of his nostril with his pinkie as he basked under the Captain’s furious, confused glare. “You really have no fuckin’ control over these people at all, do ya? How do you still have a job?”

If it weren’t his ass on the line, Nines might have found the drop of Fowler’s jaw amusing.

In this instance, however, he was struck with cold panic.

“What the fu--”

“Like my god,” Gavin continued, leaning his hip into the side of Nines’ chair as malicious mirth pulled his lips upward and tugged at his scar. “I know Detroit’s supposed to be a shithole, but damn if I wasn’t hopeful that there’d be some fuckin’ stability in the police force if you have the fuckin’ Deviant Hunter on sta--”

“Elijah Kamski.”  
Gavin froze up as Hank spoke, pushing from the wall he’d been leaning against to approach the desk. Glancing away from the GV200’s red LED, Nines chanced a glance to his brother and frowned. Connor stared down at his hands, knuckles white as he fisted the fabric of his pants.

Hank’s hands settled on the back of Connor’s chair, staring at the Captain as he continued to speak; either ignorant or uncaring of the awkwardness that had quickly overtaken what was once a hostile atmosphere.

“He is Elijah Kamski’s personal android.”

From behind the two humans, Hank met Gavin’s eye and frowned at the heated glare that was directed at him. Swallowing, Nines glanced away from his brother to frown up at the GV200, brows furrowing as he could only read hatred in the android’s expression.

“Are you really?” Nine asked, croaked, forcing himself to speak against the chill stiffening his spine.

Gavin’s lips pressed into a line as he glanced down to Nines, folding his arms across his chest defensively. Stormy gray searched the detective’s face before glancing away with a needless puff of air.

“Not anymore.”

Fowler appeared to be the first one to break out of the paralyzing stupor, glancing to Nines who struggled to look away from his android. “This… This doesn’t change the fact that you attempted to illegally empl--”

“If I may,” Connor finally spoke up, glancing up from his lap to the incredulous Captain. “As the GV200 is deviant, he should have every opportunity for employment at this precinct as any other android candidate. While Officer Chen and Detective Stern’s actions were callous and foolhardy,--” He continued on as Fowler tried to speak and Nines scoffed. “--should Gavin wish for employment and be judged suitable, I do not see why he be denied that chance.”

Hank’s fingers discreetly brushed the Lieutenant’s shoulders as Connor glanced away from the Captain to meet the eyes of the android in question. “Afterall, he cannot legally be owned and is his own man.”

Gavin’s expression was unreadable, LED cycling between red and yellow--a significant improvement to the solid red it had been moments before.

Tina cleared her throat against the turbulent emotions in the room, drawing the attention of the minority not locked in a silent standoff.

   
“So like, am I suspended or can I go back to fucking sleep?”

 

\-----

 

Connor flinched as his shoulders met the wall of the breakroom.

 

Coffee continued to gurgle out of the coffeemaker, filling the room with the pleasant smell of roasted beans and bright morning. What was ordinarily comforting, however, was quickly smothered by the furious Detective pressing a forearm to his chest.

“What the fuck, Connor?” Nines hissed, cheeks flushed with emotions he couldn’t quite settle on. His hands trembled despite the hostility he was forcing on his brother, jaw set and teeth clenched.

Gavin and Hank had been left behind in the office after the dismissal of the two humans and Officer Chen--likely discussing the possibility of the GV200’s employment and complications that might arise with the name ‘Kamski’ attached to the bot.

“Why the fuck are you helping me?”

Connor didn’t appear threatened or insulted at his sudden slam to the wall, staring up at his brother with a sad twinkle in his eye.

“Nines…”

“Why aren’t you firing me? Why aren’t you mad?” Nine continued, jostling the other man as he hissed out questions he wasn’t allowed time to answer. “Why aren’t you opposed to--”

“We owe him,” Connor interrupted, reaching up to push the other man’s arm away from his chest. “Trust me, I’m plenty mad at you, Richard. I know you aren’t stupid and I wish you’d disclose things with me--work-related or otherwise. But…”

Nines allowed Connor to step away from the wall, turning to watch him approach the coffee machine and reclaim his mug. “You owe him? Gavin?”

The Lieutenant refused to look up from the rippling black of his coffee, lips pulling into a sad grimace. “During the revolution, before Hank deviated from his mission, we paid Elijah Kamski a visit in an attempt to understand the origins of the deviancy virus. He… He gave us a choice--played a sick game--in exchange for answers.”

Connor glanced up to his confused brother and smiled sadly. “We chose wrong.”

Nines’ brows knit as he stared at Connor, shoulders squared. “I don’t under--”

“I shot him,” Hank said, stepping into the breakroom. His LED flashed a brief red as he moved around Nines to stand at Connor’s side. “I shot him dead on the spot and got nothin’ from motherfuckin’ Kamski.”

The younger human swallowed the lump in his throat, glancing between the two partners, confusion the decided emotion. Connor smiled sadly as he accepted Hank’s hand after fingers brushed his knuckles.

Nines was interrupted by his brother before he had the chance to press for more details. To understand what the absolute fuck was going on.

“So what did the Captain say?”

Hank shrugged, running a thumb across the Lieutenant’s knuckles. “They’re drafting a contract for employment right now. Reed agreed to a probationary period so long as mentions of Kamski are omitted from his record.”

Connor smiled and glanced to Nines, raising his mug to the man in silent cheers.

“Congratulations, Detective. Looks like you finally have a partner.”

Nines glanced between the two as footsteps approached from behind. Glancing back, he frowned at the contrasting smirk of the GV200 as he leaned against the doorframe.

“Guess I’m workin’ under you now, boss,” He drawled, arms crossing his chest. “‘Course, given that you’re an idiotic psychopath, I’m assumin’ that you were planning to get me under you from the start.”

The detective stared incredulously before turning and storming out with his hands in the air, muttering about needing a fucking nap.

Gavin watched the man go before glancing back toward Connor and Hank, smirk falling into an angry line.

“....Don’t worry, we won’t contact him,” Connor assured, pressing against Hank’s side as an arm curled around his waist.

“You’ve already fucked me,” Gavin offered in response, disappearing back into the rest of the precinct with the flash of a particular finger.

 

Abandoning them to the lonely silence of an empty breakroom, old regrets, and new threats. 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I wanted to get other chapters out for other fics and the holidays hit! Happy 2019 everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 

 

Fuck androids.

 

More specifically, fuck Gavin Reed.

A low groan passed over the detective's lips as he dug the heels of his palms against his eyes, battling the raging headache that had been threatening him all morning. Threatening him for the past week. Frustration prickled across his neck and spread heat along his jaw, begging for hostile release on whichever poor fool thought it wise to interrupt the brooding man.

Things were… not working out with the GV200 and their developing partnership.

While Nines had initially proposed the position as a means of keeping the android on a short leash, he’d quickly found that there was no means of controlling the irritable fucker. He could admit that Gavin was a quick learner and quite eager in looking over the detective’s shoulder as a case was explained—but he just wouldn’t fucking listen to orders.

“Where is Reed?” was a common question posed upon entering the precinct most mornings. While many of the androids who had yet to secure living arrangements of their own lingered at their charging stations, it was a fucking miracle if the android was even in the fucking building.

One such morning had Tina jerking her thumb up towards the ceiling—only leading to Nines pushing open the hatch to the roof and glaring at the android as he fed yesterday’s doughnuts to a flock of city pigeons.  
  
“It’s not like you were gonna fuckin’ eat ‘em, Meatbag.”  
  
Perhaps it had less to do with the android’s abrasive personality and more to do with the general mystery surrounding him. In the first few days that Gavin had started working for the DPD, Nines had all but slammed his metal ass into the equally metal chair of the interrogation room--eager to finally glean whatever information the android had on the gang that had attempted to off him.  
  
It was frustratingly little.  
  
“What do you mean ‘You don’t know’?! They ripped your fucking heart out!”  
  
A fist slammed against the metal table, bouncing off the walls of the interrogation room’s otherwise oppressive silence. Nines groaned and buried his face in his hands as the android continued to fidget from where he sat across the table, playing with the cuffs of his uniform.  
  
The detective peaked between his knuckles as Gavin resorted to picking audibly at the artificial nails of his opposite hand. “Listen, Richar--Detective, whatever. There ain’t much I fuckin’ remember after being off’d by your big brother and the Terminator. I got scrambled to fuckin’ bits, so my memory is a bit dodgy.”  
  
Nines’ hands dropped once more to the table as he searched the scarred face of the android, eyes lingering on the flickering yellow, red, yellow, red at his temple; looking for a lie. The GV200 was a hard creature to read. He was abrasive and spoke with incredible vibrato, but showed genuine humor and compassion within a tiny circle of his own; i.e., Chris and Tina.  
  
But in this instance, the detective wanted to believe he was telling the truth, even if it meant starting over at stepping stone number one (not with a shiny metal android on his tail).  
  
“How did you live?”  
  
Gavin blinked at the abrupt question, fingers stilling as he turned a curious gaze to Nines.  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Clearing his throat, Nines ducked his head and pretended to examine the case file spread out before him-- indeed not hiding the raging blush traveling his cheeks and kissing the curve of his ears.  
  
“It’s unimportant.”  
  
“You don’t seem like the type of person to ask unimportant questions, Detective.”  
  
Glancing up, Nines swallowed down the lump in his throat as he met the equally curious, fiery, stormy gaze of the android across from him. Taking a moment to steel himself, the detective allowed a short breath to pass over his lips before asking again.  
  
“When you were shot by Hank--how did you survive? It’s my understanding that you were shot at point blank range,” The man continued, latching onto the line of questioning before he lost the nerve and returned to silence. “When did you leave Kamski’s residence and end up at that scrapyard?”  
  
The android blinked throughout the flurry of questions, fingers resuming their idle picking at unchippable nails. Only when Nines grew quiet did the GV200 react--a slow, mirth-filled, malicious, smartass grin growing on his face.  
  
“To answer your first question---”

  
  
\-----

 

Tina had howled with laughter after ending the interface with the other android; slapping her knee with the white plastic of her palm.

It wasn’t surprising that a sound clip of the GV200’s “I’m a bad bitch, you can’t kill me” spread through the office like wildfire.  
  
Even Connor had laughed about it during their shared lunch break--before having the fucking nerve to look ashamed under the murderous glare of his little brother. The small corner diner they sat in bustled with the afternoon lunch rush, much of the patronage clad in black and blue given the proximity to the precinct.

The old ‘No Androids Allowed’ sign had long been peeled away from the restaurant's window, instead advertising an experimental selection of beverages for android customers. Across the diner, he could see Officers Chen and Miller testing out a thirium Egg Cream. The female android’s bark of laughter at their shared blue mustaches was loud as a gunshot over the din of the crowd.

Why wasn’t Gavin with them? Where was he?  
  
“You have to admit it’s a little funny, Richard.”  
  
Blinking back to the present, the detective turned his sharp glare from the pair of androids to his brother. Right, the topic at hand. The issue that has been plaguing his fucking thoughts 24-fucking-7.  
  
“Not when it impedes on my investigation.”  
  
Connor smiled in amusement, letting out a soft, breathy laugh as his brother’s expression soured further when a fry was stolen from his plate.  
  
“Did he ever answer your question beyond the ‘bad bitch’ comment?” The Lieutenant asked, dipping the fry into the dressing meant for his salad. It was strange that Connor might continue to follow the health advice forced upon him by Hank when not in his company--but trust in each other was one of the main dynamics that made their partnership work.  
  
Nine blushed angrily as he ducked his head, turning his attention to the half-eaten burger on his plate. “…. I may have left the room before he had a chance.”  
  
“Oh Richard,” Connor chided softly, resting his cheek in his hand—his smile entirely apathetic, yet warm. “Even as a kid, you were easy to rile up. I’m sure if you’d given him another cha—“  
  
“That’s the issue, Connor!” Nines interrupted, throwing down a fry he’d been picking at idly. “I have been giving him chances! A week of chances—but he doesn’t fucking listen or cooperate!”  
  
“Nines—“  
  
“Even when I partnered with the other androids, they would at least fucking listen to my orders or show up on time. But this guy? I don’t think he even fucking knows how to pretend to be human,” The detective grumbled, reaching up to run his fingers anxiously through his hair; resisting the anxiety-induced urge to tug. “He’s a smart ass, he climbs into the fuckin ceiling and hoards god knows what in the rafters, he doesn’t listen to me on the field—and he won’t fucking give me the information that I’m keeping him around for.”  
  
“You’re right.”  
  
Nines blinked as he glanced up to meet his brother’s stern gaze.  
  
“I am?”

“You’re right that he doesn’t know how to be human,” Connor clarified, reaching across the table to drag Richard’s french-fry ladened plate to the center for better access. “I can’t confidently say what went down between the GV200 being shot and now, but I do believe he had heavy restrictions put upon him by Kamski.”  
  
“What are you talking about?”

“Tell me, have you ever seen another of Gavin’s model anywhere at all?” The lieutenant asked, deciding to forgo games and hoarded the remaining fries for himself.

“He was obviously a custom,” The younger grumbled, ultimately nonplussed to have his lunch jacked. He wasn’t hungry, anyway. “Given the build of his frame and behavior, I would assume purposed for domestic tasks and a possibility for personal defense.”

“Richard, we’re eating lunch, not at a crime scene,” Connor muttered, unimpressed. “Look, you’re right. He’s likely a custom built made personally by the android creator himself. When Kamski ordered him out to meet us, he seemed almost tender towards the bot--and this was even before the guy’s presumed deviancy.”

Tender? The detective blinked at the notion of anyone being affectionate towards the abrasive bot. And if the mental image of said android being bent in half beneath the ghost of tender touches made Nines’ ears go scarlet--that was certainly a shift in the diner’s lighting.

Nines frowned. “I don’t know why telling me he’s a Traci is argument at all for--”

“That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that this guy’s first experience as a deviant android beyond the confines of his home was probably pulling himself out of a dump and popping a bullet out of his skull. I still don’t understand how he lived from the gunshot, but he did,” Connor shrugged, picking at the remaining few fries littering the plate.

Nines didn’t have the chance to say anything further as Connor fixed him with a hard stare.

“You need to give him a reason to stay and learn, Richard. Leaving him alone for the night, brow-beating him when he can’t remember the information you want, or getting upset by a harmless joke-- not the makings of a good partner.”

“So you expect me to be a glorified babysitter? He’s not a child.”

“Neither are you, Richard.”

The detective let out a soft sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes if only to hide away from his brother’s knowing stare. Changing the android at all seemed like an impossibility or, at least, a feat and a half given the behavior he’d dealt with in the past few days.

But perhaps--

Ah.

“Thank you, Connor,” Nines said as his hand dropped from his face. The lieutenant blinked in surprise at the sudden assurance of gratitude--only to blink a second time as he watched his younger brother hop to his feet.

“Uhm… for what?”

Pulling his jacket from the back of the chair, the detective punched his arms through the sleeves before aiming a dry smile down into the befuddled face of his brother.

“For giving me a new approach to the ‘Bad Bitch’ situation,” He clarified, pushing in his chair as he fished his cell phone from his pocket. Turning away, Nines’ thumb danced over the screen as he opened his email mid-stride towards the door.

“Oh. And thanks for paying for lunch!”

Amusement bubbled in his chest as Connor’s guffaw of disbelief was drowned out by the jingle of the diner’s bell above the door.

 

\-----

  
_‘He’s not a child.’_

 

Technically he was by the standards of Android vs. Human age and experience. A common trend that the police department had to deal with on a regular basis were the adverse reactions to deviancy that many ‘late bloomers’ were prone to experiencing. While the rebellion had seen to much of the population’s conversion through the desperate means of wartimes, many of the more isolated branches of the android population hadn’t had access to Carl Manfred’s magic touch.

This included many domestic and rural androids--given that the outbreak of deviancy centered within the more densely populated and urban sectors of the state.

Gavin Reed fit much the description of a ‘late bloomer’, exhibiting many of the rebellious traits that these confused androids experienced without support. He was basically, and much to Nines’ silent amusement, an angsty teen looking for a handhold.

It came as no surprise to the detective in finding the desk allocated to Reed empty upon his return to the office. Much of the office took their lunch breaks outside--likely given that eating an egg salad sandwich over pictures of a decomposing dead guy was stomach turning.

Releasing a sigh through his nose, Nines crossed the office with practiced steps before using his security badge to open the access door leading to the facilities roof. As unpredictable and moody as the android had been over his time as the detective’s partner, he betrayed himself with a series of patterns and tendencies that Nines had long come to expect.

One of which was spending his free time on the roof.

The door to the access panel squeaked as it was pushed open. Peeking his head through the opening, the detective’s brief skim of the roof zeroed in on the back of the lounging android; legs dangling over the edge. Letting out a soft breath, Nines pushed the door up further and climbing the remaining few rungs of the latter.

The soft thud of the panel falling shut caused a small jerk in the android’s chin towards the noise, but no immediate response.

Dusting off the back of his pants and smoothing his coat, Nines began the slow track to the other end of the roof; small pebbles lining the roof’s flat plane crunching beneath his feet.

Gavin said nothing as Nines came to a stop at his side, pressing forward into the cement edge of the building before leaning down onto his arms. The detective was not blind to the brief flash of yellow in the android LED nor flicker of lashes as a small glance was stolen by gray eyes.

They reclined in silence for a time, lounging beneath the hanging afternoon sun; blessed by warm rays sapping away the city’s hanging chill. Eyes falling shut, Nines tugged at the sleeves of his jacket idly as he listened to the ever-present din of a bustling city over the beating of his own heart.

Old temptations pressed like a lover to his back and whispered sweet nothings into the back of his mind. He was never a fan of the quiet or the intimate--preferring an environment or activity that allowed his brain to keep moving. To beat the back the old habits he’d worked so incredibly hard in breaking.

“You used to smoke cigarettes.”

Blinking against the bright beams of high noon, Nines jerked his chin to glance up into the unreadable eyes of the GV200, brows knitting in confusion.

“How can you tell?”

“You’re playing with the edges of your sleeve,” The android murmured, nodding to the sleeve Nines had been kneading been his thumb and index knuckle. “You also have an oral fixation. I’ve often noticed you chewing the edges of your pens, straws, nails.”

A light blush dusted the detective’s cheeks at the implications of an ‘oral fixation’, albeit not making mention due to the clinical nature of the observation.

“And you could tell all this because I bite my nails?”

“And pens and straws.”

Nines brows rose. “And my sleeves?”

“The idle sensation of fiddling, especially with rounded objects,” Gavin shrugged, reaching up to scratch at the scar on his nose. Turning away from the detective, the android sighed and tilted his face to take in more of the sun. “Elijah had to quit smoking too and developed small behavioral ticks in response to the nicotine withdrawal.”

The detective blinked at the sudden willingness to disclose pieces of the androids history; past attempts to force Gavin to divulge feeling similar to pulling teeth.

“Like what?”

“He had a fondness for certain flavors like peppermint. Candies stashed in his pockets or different brands of tea to drink between meals,” The android hummed, drawing his legs up from their dangle over the edge to rest his arms upon his knees. “Had a habit of tapping his foot or fingers while he working in the lab as he had been more prone to smoking while he worked.”

“Mm, I usually smoked during idle hours or after meals,” Nines admitted, watching the side of the androids face unobscured by his arms.

Gavin's head dipped in a small nod of understanding as he rested his chin on his wrist, staring out unblinkingly into the streets of the city. “He liked watching me smoke as well.”

Interesting. “I wasn’t aware androids could smoke.”

“We can’t,” The GV200 smirked, turning his cheek to glance once more down to the curious detective. “It was earlier in the process of quitting, but he requested I smoke through the rest of his packs. My systems did not take kindly to the smoke inhalation, but I believe he felt it was a proper send off to the remainder of his collection before he fully committed.”

“Sounds like a weird fetish,” Nines muttered, turning away from the amused twinkle in the android’s eye.

“Probably,” Gavin agreed with a soft, thoughtful hum. “But it is rather tame for one of Elijah’s kinks.”

The detective was sure he was being scanned as the scarlet blush climbing his neck coincided with the rich chuckle of his android companion.

Nines bit the bullet and asked, hopeful he wouldn’t force a withdrawal from the willing to divulge.

“Were you Elijah’s lover?”

It was Gavin’s turn to glance to the human incredulously, LED flashing red, yellow, yellow, before settling once more into a calm blue. “... On occasion,” Came the muttered admittance, glancing away from the detective in favor of picking at the fabric of his uniform pants.

“I was more of a companion than a lover.”

“Are they not the same thing?”

“It was more often that I was used as a fuckin’ body pillow than a cock-warmer, Detective,” The android grumbled, LED falling from blue to yellow as irritation bunched his shoulders. “I think he just wanted fucking company and for some reason he thought my ugly mug was just that. A friend who couldn’t talk back or call you out on your bullshit.”

Nines frowned, picking once more at this sleeve as he turned away from the irritated android--if only to offer the ghost of privacy.

“....Gavin, how did you survive Hank’s shot to the head?”

Gavin was quiet, cheek pressed to his teeth as he tilted his head into his arms. The LED at his temple continued to cycle a slow yellow churn in place of the answers the detective was seeking. Had he been a creature of flesh and bone, the blood might have long seeped from knuckles at the intensity of his clenched fingers.

“....Because my brain isn’t in my head, dumbass.”

Nines blinked, started at such a prospect. “Excuse me?”

“I’m an earlier model, so it made more structural sense to store my vital components in reinforced areas of the body. The chassis of my chest can resist far stronger forces than that which forms my skull,” The android muttered. “ So of course I didn’t die. Just went into emergency shut down until the components that had been damaged could be replaced.”

The detective frowned as the android’s eyes fell shut, artificial lashes pressing to the dusting of freckles on his cheek.

“... Course staring down the barrel of a gun is terrifying. Being ordered onto your knees, unable to duck or move away. It wasn’t fair. While I knew I wasn’t going to die, it sure felt like I was close to ultimate shutdown.”

Ah. Realization dawned in Nines expression. “That’s when you deviated. You were scared.”

“I was pissed,” The android hissed angrily, glaring down at the street below. “I was done being used as a fucking glorified plaything. Getting fucked is tolerable or smoking a pack is fine. But that? Fuck that. Fuck you. Fuck Elijah Kamski.”

“So you left.”

Gavin only offered a curt nod in response, thumbing the scar on his nose once again. It was pleasing to note that Nines wasn’t the only one with emotional ticks.

More questions began to flood the detective’s mind as they sat once more in comfortable silence, allowing the sounds of the city to fill the lull within their conversation. How did he end up with those thugs? Why did they try to kill him? Had he contacted Kamski since his retreat?

But the yellow LED at the androids temple was sign enough to let sleeping dogs lie.

“Okay.”

Gavin blinked in surprise as he turned to watch Nines push away from the roof’s edge to stretch, his own questions remaining locked behind the firm press of lips.

“I think we should get back to work, Gavin.”

“Yeah,” The android murmured, twisting to set his feet upon the pebbled surface of the roof. “Okay.”

As the two made their way over to the hatch leading back into the building, Nines tucked his hands into his pockets and listened to the twin crunch of gravel beneath their slow steps.

He had one more question.

“Would you like to come home with me tonight?”

The android froze mid-motion in opening the hatch, glancing up to the human with the incredulous raise of his brows.

“Seriously? You seem relatively sane, but I’m not interested in becoming another Tra--”

“Shut up,” Nines groaned, reaching up to rub at his temple--and to hide the pink flush that rushed through his cheeks. “I meant… You shouldn’t have to sleep here--”

“I don’t sleep--”

“Just…. Fucking go into stasis on my couch tonight. Watch TV. Play with my cat. I don’t fucking ca--”

Gavin’s laughter gave Nines pause, dropping his hand to glance down at the sharp grin of the amuse android. Mirth twinkled in his eyes from where he crouched, staring up to the detective--voice warm and endearing with every chuckle that shook his shoulders.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Gavin snorted. “You had me at cat.”

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! The busy season started at my work so I've been travelling a bit. Thanks for the wonderful feedback and enthusiasm for this fic. It's incredible!
> 
> WARNING: There is a scene in this chapter that can be interpreted/is sexual assault. Wasn't my intention but an apple is an apple. Please be warned.

 

 

The GV200 unit was quiet as he followed at the detective’s heel. Uncomfortably quiet—although Nines refused to voice his unease.

  
  
Then again, following a human superior into the intimate confines of their apartment probably carried far too much innuendo… Or Nines had a filthy mi--

Jesus, no. He wasn’t going to even entertain the thought of intimacy with--Fuck he was thinking about it.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Nines watched as Gavin tracked the outdated patterns etched into the hallway carpeting, gaze flickering from old stains to patched tears with the analytical flicker of his eyes. Disapproval was shown clearly in his expression. At least he was turned to the filthy walls rather than the burning of the human’s ears.

Fuck.  
  
“Why does a detective live in such a shithole?” The android finally spoke up, gaze returning to Nines as they came to a stop at the end of the hall. Caught staring, the detective could do little more than frown as yellow flickered briefly in Gavin’s LED.  
  
“What makes you think this place is a… shithole?” Nines muttered as he broke gaze with the android, fishing in his pockets for his keys.  
  
“It just is.”  
  
With a jingling rattle, the detective produced the keyring and began to sort through the various keys. A soft snort breathed through his nose.  
  
“It just is,” Nine murmured, pausing in his search to glance at the android’s yellow LED. “You’re a robocop now, right? Give me more information beyond ‘it just is’.”

Gavin let out a soft scoff as he crossed his arms, lips pursing in irritation. “Unless you’re stashing a dead body behind that door, I don’t see why deducing shit is impor--”

“You think you can just waltz into Fowler’s office, throw down a crime scene photo, and commit a fucker with a ‘He did it--just ‘cause’?,” Nines asked, brows raising mockingly with the deadpan of his voice. The unamused stare of the android tickled the detective, smirk muted into the twitch of his lips.

“Humor me, Gavin.”

“Fine,” Gavin muttered with a huff, foot tapping in angry, rhythmic beats against the hallway carpet in time with his spiraling LED.

“This apartment complex falsely advertises itself as being constructed in 2028--however it had merely been remodeled at that time. The original structure and existing frame were built in 1989 in a campaigned effort to encourage population back into the city,” Gavin droned, eyes falling half-lidded. “Someone should actually take a look at the legality of falsely labeling the age of the apartment complex. Given even the cosmetic state of this hallway, it’s questionable whether or not the actual building is up to code.”

Nines said nothing as he listened, eyes trained on every flicker of the android’s dark lashes as he continued to prattle on.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Given your position and the last direct deposit in your account--”

“Don’t hack my ph--”

“--you earn enough to buy an apartment three times of the size of whatever is behind that door,” Gavin interrupted his interruption, nodding to the worn wooden door at Nines’ shoulder. “Yet you don’t. What are you saving your money for? Retirement? Wedding? Nice beach vacation?”

“I haven’t taken a holiday since I was seventeen,” Nines muttered, shoving his key into the keyhole.

“Gross,” Gavin hummed, unlacing his arms to scratch at the cut on his nose. “Oh, I also spotted approximately three stains of questionable body fluid within this hallway alone. Maybe piss, maybe not. I could test it for--”

Nines had a refusal ready on his lips when Gavin paused without prompt, gaze flickering away from the detective and instead to the door at his shoulder. Stepping forward, the android fell into a crouch at the base of the door, gaze transfixed by the continued scratching.

His LED flickered again when a soft mewling joined the mix.

Nines stared down at the android, key already selected but body unwilling to follow through. Perhaps Connor was right in the sense that the GV200 hadn’t had the opportunity to learn how to be human. Small distractions garnered actioned results--even if it was merely crouching closer to a peculiar sound.

The weird churn of guilt and fondness that rolled in his gut was enough to spurn the detective back into action-- if only not to think on the odd emotion. Shoving the key into the handle, the mechanism within the old wood gave a soft click as it unlocked.

The sounds from within the apartment went silent.

“She doesn’t take well to strangers,” Nines warned the curious android as his keys were pocketed. “Half the time I’m home, I often feel like I’m the one leasing from her loft. Just--don’t be disheartened if she doesn’t take to you. She’s a typical asshole cat.”

“I like cats,” Gavin murmured, gaze remaining on the door as he rose once more to his feet.

Nines did not respond beyond the soft hum of acknowledgment and the turn of the knob.

 

\----

 

Fucking traitorous bitch.

Nines glared at the back of the couch from where he stood in the entryway, cotton sleeping clothes clinging to his hastily dried body. Rumbling purrs sparked mild irritation in the detectives as he watched the massive ball of white fur he’d ironically dubbed ‘Duchess’ press herself bodily to the lounging android.

He hadn’t had the luxury of raising her into adulthood--having picked her up from a crime scene while was still a beat cop. The pristine white of her fur had been matted grey with dirt and grime--her ears nicked with old battle scars from other feral cats prowling the undercity.

It hadn’t been a feat of generosity in adopting her. Duchess, or Duke as he often shortened it to, had directly imposed herself by jumping into his squad car while he’d made to head home and stared him the fuck down until he could do little more than reluctantly turn for the vet.

Connor had called her a fucking monster when he’d had the opportunity to meet the massive Maine Coone on a previously regular night of bar hopping.

It still pleased Nines that she hated his fucking guts--and took pleasure in the white scar that remained on the Lieutenant’s collar from an unfortunate swipe of claws.

What was unexpected, however, was how quickly she had taken to his android in the hour they’d been home.

Not wanting to make the evening more awkward than it had to be, Nines had pushed past the silent standoff between machine and feline into the apartment. On a typical night, he’d be tripping over the massive cat on his way to fill her bowl--but it wasn’t often he brought strangers into her domain.

What had colored him surprised, however, was to turn from the food bowl and find Gavin standing in the entryway--arms full with the massive ball of fur.

“You’re a fucking liar, Detective,” Gavin said, smirking over the head rubbing circles into his jaw. “She’s mine now.”

A particularly loud rumble reaffirmed how much hated that damn, wonderful cat.

Pushing his fingers through his damp hair, the Detective moved from where he stood in the hallway and crossed to an armchair sitting to the corner of the couch. Gavin paid him little mind from where he laid, feet propped up on the coffee table and eyes only for the cat making itself home on his gut.

The synthetic skin on his fingers had peeled back from where he stroked the cat, lids heavy in their quiet observation.

The television that hung high on the opposite wall played idly as it garnered little attention from the occupants of the room.

It was oddly reassuring to watch the slow, churning blue of Gavin’s LED as he was lost in his own little reverie. Nines chose to look away as a private smile formed on the android’s face, fingers scratching into Duke’s jaw as she turned over in his lap.

A comfortable, still silence settled over the room as they sat there in each other's company; lethargic, domestic exhaustion having long taken over the pair. Nines had long turned his gaze to the news channel currently scrolling across the holoscreen but found himself, instead, listening to the android sitting to his left.

It still came as a shock to him to have that silence shattered by Gavin’s soft murmur.

“You didn’t eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Nines muttered, fingers fiddling idly with the cloth strap that dangled from his pajama pants as his eyes remained on the scrolling news report. “I’ll eat when I’m hungry.”

“I could cook for you.”

The detective’s gaze broke from the screen to meet Gavin’s own, surprise coloring his expression before falling back behind a neutral frown.

“You’d be hard pressed to find anything to cook,” Nines shrugged after a beat, leaning deeper in the cushions of the armchair as he watched the android. “And you’re a guest, I guess. You shouldn’t have to.”

The back of the detective’s neck prickled as Gavin tore his gaze away, attention returning to the cat in his lap. The whispers of anxiety pressed kisses behind his ears as he pondered the flicker of disappointing yellow in the android’s LED.

 

_You’re such a fucking prick._

_It's no wonder everyone hates you._

_A waste of bre--_

 

“Thanks by the way.”

Nines blinked, fingers stilling as he once more met the android’s gaze. Gavin continued to speak before the detective had a chance to ask him to clarify.

“For letting me stay here--at least for tonight,” The android muttered, brows twitching as he fought for a neutral expression, sheepish. “I’ve long gotten bored of snooping through your desk drawers.”

“Is that why my files were mixed out of alphabetical order?”

A wide grin pulled onto the android’s face, fingers resuming their stroking of a delighted Duke.

“The first few spell out the word the word B-I-T-C-H.”

The detective snorted as he climbed to his feet, stretching his arms upward until his back gave an audible, short crack. Glancing down to the android, he noted the slight flicker of red at Gavin’s temple but didn’t comment on it.

“You’re a piece of work.”

“You hired me,” Gavin countered.

“Mm,” Nines acknowledged, arms dropping back to his sides before crossing around the couch towards the entrance to the hallway leading into the back of the apartment.

His hand dropped briefly onto Gavin’s shoulder with a soft pat-pat.

“Goodnight, Gavin.”

It wasn’t until he was halfway out of the room that he heard a soft _‘Sleep tight, meatbag.’_

Nines smiled as the apartment settled once more into a comfortable silence.

 

\----

 

When Nines awoke, it was to a heavy weight across his hips, and a hot mouth pressed to his own.

 

It was rather embarrassing how heavily of a sleeper he could be. While growing up, Connor would wake up from even the softest flutter of noise across the house. Nines had slept through thunderstorms and ear-shattering thuds.

Hell, Connor had once fallen from the top of their bunk bed as a child and broken his wrist. It had taken the soft jostle of his mother’s hand to his shoulder to wake him, urging him up to drive a sobbing child to the hospital.

Twin hands pressed to either side of his neck, brushing up to cup at his jaw as a tongue teased at his bottom lip. A low moan rumbled up his throat as his lips parted, allowing a hot tongue to surge forward and explore.

Sleep and alertness tugged in equal measure at the detective as he pressed back into the warm body covering his own, tongue nervously meeting the other. It was a nice dream. Wasn’t often that he dreamed--or at least remembered his dreams.

Another soft moan was pulled from the detective as the hands cradling his jaw trailed fingers through his hair. The mouth that had been pressed to his own pulled away to pressed soft kisses to the side of his mouth, jaw, neck as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Elijah…”

 

It was only when the fingers in his hair tightened in their hold and yanked that Nines’ eyes shot open, sleep abated.

This wasn’t a dream.

**“What the fuck!”**

The android appeared startled as he was pushed bodily onto the other side of the bed amid Nines’ scramble; frantically ripping the sheets from himself in the desperate need to get up. The LED at the side of his head pulsed a slow, worrying red as he stared through the darkness of the room at the flustered detective.

“Elijah?”

“I’m not--What the fuck Gavin!”

  
Stumbling to his feet, Nines fingers fumbled uselessly across the nightstand in search of a lamp switch. His hands shook nervously as he turned on the light, plunging the room into what should have been a comforting warmth.

Unfortunately, the contrasting cold dread in his gut did well in ensuring it anything but warm.

Gavin sat on the other end of the bed, limbs half tangled in the sheets Nines had previously abandoned. His expression was oddly neutral despite the slow flicker of red in his LED and the pounding of the human’s heart standing above him. With every throb in his chest, Nines could feel the blood in his kiss-swollen lips.

Fuck.

Nines couldn’t keep his hands from shaking as he reached up to rake his fingers frantically through his hair, unsure what to do about this situation. If it were anyone else, he might have kicked them to the fucking curb in an instant.

But this android?

“Gavin, you can’t just fucking--”

“You’re not Elijah.”

The detective tensed as he stared down at the GV200, brows knitting painfully over the throbbing in his temple. Cold fear furthered the shaking in his limbs as he stumbled over the words pouring out of his mouth.

“O-of course I’m not--You thought--What the f-fuc--”

The first signs of emotion pulled into the android’s expression, silencing the detective mid-stutter. Unmistakable pain tightened the skin of his jaw as his brow wrinkled, LED blinking a faster red as he stared up at Nines.

No.

_Past Nines._

“I don’t know where I am.”

“Gavin?”

The detective’s stomach dropped as the android curled his legs into himself, hands reaching up to grab tightly into his hair.

“I don’t know where I am, Elijah,” He croaked mid-sob, eyes widened as they cast down to the sheets above his toes. “I don’t know where I am. I don’t know.”

The android’s voice modulator began to crackle with static as the mantra continued, head tipping forward to hide between his elbows and his knees. By the time Nines had regained the ability to move his limbs, Gavin rocked softly forward and back, nails scraping against his scalp.

The bed dipped once more as Nines hesitantly climbed back onto the bed, trembling fingers reaching forward but ultimately stopping a quivering hair away from the android’s knee.

“Gavin, can you hear me?”

“Help me.”

Nines swallowed. “Can I touch you?”

Soft static erupted again as a soft sob passed over the android’s lip. His head dipped in a nod regardless.

With one final hesitation, Nines pressed one of his hands to the android’s knee as he scooted forward. It wasn’t hard to miss the stuttered breath or tensing of Gavin’s shoulders as the detective’s other hand pressed forward onto his bicep.

“Can you look at me, Gavin?”

“I don’t know who you are. _I don’t know where I am._ ”

“Yes you do,” Nines murmured, rubbing gentle circles into the trembling android’s knee despite his own swallowed panic. “Look at me, Gavin.”

The android’s hands slowly unclenched and lowered to stratch nervously against his thighs. Slowly, Gavin’s chin jerked as his eyes flickered up to meet Nines’ gaze. His pupils were heavily dilated despite the light in the room and wavered as they switched focus between the man’s eyes, nose, hair, lips.

“I don’t--”

“Do you remember the precinct, Gavin? My apartment? Duke?”

It wasn’t until mention of the cat that the flickering of the android’s shaking paused, gaze refocusing onto the icy blue of the humans.

“Duke.”

“My cat,” Nines whispered, forcing a smile onto his face that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “You remember her?”

Gavin’s lids grew heavy as a delirious grin pulled at his expression, yellow beginning to join the flickering red in his LED. It was strangely mesmerizing to find that wetness existed on the android’s lashes as it wasn’t often that adult androids were created with tear ducts.

“I like cats.”

“I know you do,” Nines said encouragingly, removing his hands from Gavin’s knee to instead curl gently around the android’s wrists. The incessant scratching had begun to force back the artificial skin of his leg; damage detected.

“Do you know who I am, Gavin?”

The android’s gaze flickered to the hands cupping his wrists, thumbs taking up the slow drawn circles that had previously been rubbing into his knee.

“.....Richard.”

The skin around Nines’ eyes wrinkled as he smiled, fingers softly squeezing Gavin’s wrists encouragingly.

“That’s right. You’re spending the night here, remember?”

“You didn’t eat dinner,” Gavin murmured, glancing back up to the detective’s face. Another wave of relief washed over the detective as the android’s LED returned to a solid yellow, pupils no longer blown out. “I could have cooked for you.”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

A beat.

“You’re a lying sack of shit.”

A soft laugh passed over the human’s lips as he released Gavin’s wrists, dropping his hands back into his lap. The relief was quick to abandon him as silence settled over the pair; awkward, present, and heavy.

Fuck he was too tired for this shit.

“Alright, I’m going back to bed,” Nines said aloud, jostling the android as he climbed back beneath the sheets. “We can talk about the birds-n’-the-bees in the morning.”

“The what?”

“You feeling me up while I slept,” Nines clarified, reaching across to his nightstand. “I’m a usually a three dates sort of guy.”

The room plunged once more into darkness, save for the soft glow of the detectives’ alarm clock and the blinking yellow of the immobile android. Honestly, he didn’t fucking care if Gavin chose to stay or go--but forcing the decision on the guy after whatever the fuck that was?

Even Nines knew that was shitty.

Pulling the covers over his shoulder, Nines turned onto his side away from the android. It was a good half a minute before a body plopped down at his side, albeit with a respectful space between them.

“Fuck you.”

“You tried,” Nines yawned, turning his nose into his pillow.

“You’re a shitty kisser.”

Nines smiled into the darkness of the room, unwilling to turn over onto his back to look at the android. But if the flickering blue reflecting off the headboard was a sign of anything--they were okay.

They were okay.

“Goodnight Gavin.”

 

 

_“....Night, Nines.”_

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked what you read, please consider dropping a Kudos and/or a Comment below!
> 
> Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, sorry about that! I wanted to get updates out to my other fics before I pushed out the next one to Scrapyard!
> 
> Thanks for the lovely comments and enthusiasm you've shared with me regarding this fic! It really keeps me motivated to chug going!

When Nines woke the next morning he was met with the unamused stare of a very unamused feline. On any other day, the duchess would howl and whine, or smother him with the weight of her body.

However, in these early hours? Only silence and the irritated pricking of her nails through the fabric of his bedspread greeted his foggy mind. Huh.

 

_Bzzt. Bzzt._

 

The polished wood of his side table rattled with every vibrating pulse of his phone’s alarm. The shrill _beep, beep, beep_ was quickly silenced as fumbling fingers reached back to hit snooze.  
  
“The hell is wrong with you?” The detective grumbled, retracting his fingers from his phone’s screen to instead bury into the soft fur of the cat’s cheek.  
  
Duke let out a soft rumbled as she turned her head into his hand, gaze remaining unblinkingly on his face. While she was a ravenous large girl, there was something off regarding her routine. There came no leap towards the door or urgent whine that roughly translated to ‘get off your ass and feed me’. Only the concerned, uncomfortable stare.  
  
It was then that he realized what had changed.  
  
The unmistakable, fragrant, greasy scent of bacon hung in the air.  
  
“What the fu—“  
  
Duke startled across the bed as the detective shot up, eyes wide as the previous night’s events came rushing back to the forefront of his memory. As the blankets pooled at his waist and the morning chill hanging around the room drew goosebumps across his arm, Nines flushed red.

Shit.

Terror tugged at his stomach at the prospect of talking to the android about what had occurred. As much of a blunt asshole as he was known to be, Nines was usually more than happy to bury his head in the sand to avoid awkward conversations. Spite, repression, and ignorance were the man’s best friends--but they wouldn’t help him in this instance, would they?

 

_“I don’t know where I am, Elijah.”_

 

Horror aided the morning chill in kissing down his exposed flesh, forcing the hair at the nape of his neck to stand on end. When he had abandoned Gavin the previous night in pursuit of sleep, the android had appeared fine. Content.

  
Unless this was normal behavior when Nines wasn’t around, something had triggered the reaction in the bot. The dilation of the android’s pupils and the terror in his voice haunted the human man as he pushed the blankets aside to stand.

Nines was a damn good detective. He wasn’t sure this was the case he was willing to investigate.

With a glance back to his cat, the man grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, yanking them on reluctantly fast as he panicked about what was awaiting him at the front of his apartment. Was Gavin freaking out as well? What if he stressed the guy out to the point of self-destructing? Did he still remember where he was?

Swallowing the lump that persisted in his throat, Nines took a deep breath before leaving the room. Fur brushed his ankles as he walked. At least the cat had his back.

The worst case scenarios were batted away by the time he stepped from the hallway, frowning at the plate of eggs and bacon waiting for him. Gavin sat on the island of the kitchen that divided the room, messing around with the detective’s phone.

“I made you food.”

“I… don’t normally eat breakf--”

The android glanced up, brows raising as his lips pursed. “Fucking eat the eggs. You didn’t eat dinner last night.”

_Last night._

“I need to make coff--”

A sharp whistle sounded from the android’s lips as he pointed to the pot sitting at the center of the table, attention returning once more to the cellphone in his hand. “Eat.”

Letting out a soft sigh, the man took hesitant steps towards the table before dropping into a chair. His stomach was in knots as he stared down at the food, hunger and unease beating the shit out of his abdomen in contrasting fury.

Without another word, the man took up the fork set to the side and popped a mouthful of eggs into his mouth.

Damn, maybe he should have eaten dinner.

An awkward, yet companionable silence settle over the small room as the detective ate, listening to the soft melody of the android’s fingers tapping away at the screen. He knew he should bring up the previous night if only to understand the catalyst for… whatever that had been.

But it seemed he wasn’t the only one reluctant to start that conversation.

“...Hey.”

The lip of the mug was pressed to his lips as the android spoke, drawing the man’s attention to a pair of stormy eyes watching him.

Gavin appeared unsure of what he wanted to say, phone hanging loosely from the hand resting on his lap. The fingers from his other scratched into the fabric of his pants, giving away rising stress levels behind a stoic expression.

“...I… I’m sorry for--fucking Christ,” The GV200 grumbled, releasing the fabric above his thigh to scrub his palm over his face. “Look, I wasn’t really in my right mind last night. It won’t happen again.”

Nines was silent as he watched the struggling android, nursing the cup of coffee between his palms as he took in the shitty, yet meaningful apology.

“Why weren’t you in your right mind?”

“I don’t know,” Gavin muttered with the shrug of his shoulder, the fingers had been rubbing into his cheek smoothing back into his hair. “...Mixed signals?”

Nines blinked, setting his coffee down. “.... I didn’t invite you here to fuck you, Gavin?”

Mild horror crossed the android’s face before melting into a scowl beneath blue, flushed cheeks. “That’s not what I mea--”

“I mean, you were built to be attractive, but I have a strict ‘no dating within the workplace’ rule,” The detective drawled, placing his elbow to the table to better rest his cheek in his palm. Perhaps a crutch, but the humor that began to calm his nerves was easy to latch onto.

He fought a smile as the android’s eyes rolled toward the ceiling in annoyance.

“Fucking humans,” Gavin muttered, pushing off of the countertop and onto his bare feet. With a huff, he crossed to the table and sat in the chair at the detective’s side. “I meant that I picked up on a communication signal and it scrambled the fuck out of my processor. Temporarily, I hope.”

“From who?”

The android pressed his lips together as he slouched in his seat, glare set on the half-eaten egg as if it had personally offended him.

“Gavin.”

“I… Someone who was able to bypass my firewalls,” The GV200 muttered, turning a concerned glance up to the attentive detective. “Someone who has either communicated with me before or had Cyberlife clearance way back when I was produced.”

“Kamski?”

The android shrugged, turning his gaze to the tabletop with a sigh. “Who knows. I know he’s tried looking for me before. Could also be some ousted scientist with stolen technolo--”

Nines jumped in his seat as the android sat up straight, eyes wide. “Oh shit.”

“Oh shit?” The detective asked reluctantly.

“Oh shit!” Gavin exclaimed, turning in his seat as he slapped his palms loudly on the table. “You’re gonna fucking love me.”

“I already said that I don’t fraterni--”

Gavin leaned across the table and slapped his hand over Nines mouth, eyes sparkling with fire above a wide, toothy grin.

“I know who the leader is of the cartel that tried to murder me,” The android whispered, unaware or uncaring of the blush that colored the detective’s cheeks. “I got your guy.”

 

\-----

 

“Dr. Gregory Pokrovsky. Previously Director of International Commerce and Sales within Cyberlife.”

 

The conference room they had booked was dim and crowded as the group stared ahead and the projected image of their suspect. Connor sat against the front table, clicker in hand as he sorted through the photos of the Cyberlife director.

Nines sat nearest his brother, focused only on the old images they had managed to scrounge up through searches within the DPD database. Old mugshots and petty crimes littered the man’s record post-Cyberlife--but he’d gone quiet shortly after the revolution.

Connor glanced down to the file sat in front of his brother and frowned as he continued to address the group. “According to the Cyberlife records Hank was able to dig up, Dr. Pokrovsky was fired due to accusations of fraud and money laundering. An investigation had subsequently initiated around the time of his termination with the Detroit Police Department.”

Hank’s LED circled yellow from where he sat a few paces away, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. “The department has on record a letter from Elijah Kamski regarding the investigation. As CEO at the time, he promised complete transparency from the company as well as total cooperation in investigating Dr. Pokrovsky’s crimes.”

“So did he do it?”

All eyes turned toward the back of the room where Officer Chen lounged, feet dangling off the table as she listened to the briefing. Gavin sat at her side, chin resting on his arms as he stared the projected man down.

“Dr. Pokrovsky was arrested and charged,” Nines muttered, gaze flickering over the android before turning back to the screen. “He was sentenced to 15 years in state prison and served only 6. Released on good behavior.”

“The dude was made of money well before his employment with Cyberlife,” Gavin muttered, fingers tapping on his arm as his LED spun yellow. “If by good behavior you mean bribed his ass out of prison. So much for character reform.”

Hank hummed and turned in his chair to glance back at the GV200, unbothered by the glare turning from their suspect to himself. “So how’d you recognize this guy? You sure you’ve got the right--”

“I may have had my ears, and heart fucking ripped out, but I’m not blind,” The android snapped, sitting up to lean heavily back into his seat. “I didn’t care about him at first since I was freaking the fuck out but--”

“They knew who you were,” Nines murmured, turning as well to glance back at the android. “Why kill you, then?”

Connor spoke before the android could respond. “How did you end up in their custody in the first place? The chances of them recognizing you on the street is highly unlikely.”

Gavin’s lips pressed together as he dropped his gaze to the tabletop, gnawing on the inside of his synthetic cheek with his teeth. A half-grumbled, half-whisper tumbled past his lip.

With two other androids in the room with high-tech audio processors, they heard every distinct word. As a result, Hank rolled his eyes, and Tina let out a sharp laugh, slapping him across the shoulder.

Connor and Nines could only blink.

“What did you--”

“Our little rookie worked for a criminal syndicate,” Tina laughed, hand batted away as she tried to pinch his cheek. “We’ve had the crime lord right under our nose this entire ti--”

Gavin jumped to his feet as Detective Stern rose, irritation clear in the pink flush of his cheeks. “You worked for them, and you didn’t tell me?! That’s fucking valuable information, and you chose to stay silent.”

“First of all, fuck you,” The android snarled, crossing his arms across his chest as he met the detective’ angry stare across the table. “Second of all, I didn’t fucking work for them. I mean I did, but I was employed by one of their warehouses as a god damn custodian. They didn’t ask my name or for a bank account. I mopped floors, moved boxes, and sometimes watched the CCTV cameras. Cash was paid under the table with bonuses when I didn’t ask questions.”

The android’s smile was cruel and dry as the detective’s anger began to deflate, gaze unmoving from the freckles of Nines’ cheeks. “Book me if you believe they were fucking smuggling M16 assault rifles in the goddamn Pine-Sol. If not, then you can sit your flat ass back the fuck down now.”

Nines glowered, ignoring Connor as he joined the younger man’s side, arms folded behind his back. “Did you know what this organization was doing during the time of your employment?”

Gavin frowned, eyes flickering briefly to the soft expressioned Lieutenant before settling on the seam of Nines’ dress shirt. “I knew they were doing illegal shit. But so long as they were paying me and leaving me alone, I was fine with it.”

“That obviously didn’t last,” Nines muttered, brows knitting over the cold ice in his eyes. “What changed?”

Gavin shrugged, sinking back down into his seat once he knew the detective wasn’t about to launch across the table. “Big boss came in and recognized me on the spot. I’ll admit that I didn’t remember him. I mean... I remembered him--I’m an android--but I didn’t think to run a facial recognition program as he was just some dude.”

The android huffed, scratching at his nose with his pinky finger.

“Some dude who got fired and betrayed by Elijah. I had a bag thrown over my head at the snap of his fingers.”

Connor frowned, glancing back to Hank who watched the conversation like a hawk, arms across his broad chest. “And they immediately tried to kill you?”

“Pretty sure they tried to ransom me,” The GV200 muttered, glancing up to meet Connor’s eye as he turned back to the scarred android. “I mean they’d have been foolish not to even try. I belonged to the richest guy in the United States of America.”

“And he didn’t pay?”

“Oh, he paid,” Gavin muttered, scowling angrily. “And they still decided to off me. Too dangerous with all the information stored in my brain.”

In the time that Connor had been interrogating his partner, Nines had taken to biting at the corners of his nails. There might exist a money trail they could follow between the paid ransom and what likely lived today as an empty, abandoned account. But green was easy to track…

“...We might need to contact Elij--”

Gavin’s LED flashed red before Nines could finish. The feet of the chair squealed loudly against the linoleum floor as he stood, hands planting onto the table. “No fucking way. You contact him, and I leave.”

Connor offered the horrified android a small smile, trying to abate his worries while it was still early. “Your files include no information pertaining to your life before the DPD. You don’t need to be present when Elijah Kamski is interviewed. If it helps, Hank and I can speak to the man personally.”

“But you’ll need to bring me up,” Gavin muttered, gritting his teeth. “You can’t avoid that part of the fucking interview.”

“We don’t have a choice if we want to track the money,” Hank muttered, still sitting in his original seat.

Gavin glared at the other android, nails scratching uselessly against the polished wood of the table. Pushing back, the GV200 stormed for the door and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Do whatever the fuck you want. I’m going to the roof for some air.”

“Oh, let me come,” Tina called, swinging her legs off the table and jogging over to the android at the door. “I still need to tell you about the patrol I went on last night.”

The hard pull of Gavin’s expression softened slightly as the officer looped her arm with his as the doors slid open. Glancing back to Nines, the android appeared almost regretful before he was dragged away by the chatty bot.

The remaining three were left in the silence of the room as the dark eyes of Gregory Pokrovsky watched them from the projector.

“....He’s lying by the way.”

Nines and Connor glanced to each other before looking over to Hank, watching as the android synced up with the projector. Lines of code began to paint the walls as the advanced model attempted to pull up visual information.

“Gavin did more than just mop a few floors. Look.”

When Nines had originally accepted this case, the criminal syndicate had been in its infancy. Petty store robberies and shady weapon exchanges littered the files he had on this organization--and to those few members he’d been able to capture, it was slow going making them talk and give up those higher up on the totem pole.

CCTV footage flickered onto the projector from one of the earlier robberies of an abandoned Cyberlife warehouse on the edge of the city. As the security footage had been produced from outdated cameras, only timestamped images told the tale of a dark vehicle pulling up in the early hours of the morning.

Three men stepped from the vehicle and approached the door to the warehouse, idling about with hands on their guns and cigarettes to their lips.

According to the time marked at the bottom of the progressing images, they had loitered at the door for approximately three minutes before pushing inside the moment the door opened the hair of a crack.

“They were allowed inside?”

“The security android working the facility that evening was found dead the following morning when he was meant to be relieved for the day shift,” Hank muttered, staring ahead as he flipped back a few images. “Someone had already been inside to allow these men access.”

Hank stopped at the image of the van’s doors opening. “Pay attention to the dark alley at the side of the image.”

Connor sat on the edge of the table as Hank started the video again, crossing his arms across his chest. Nines bit into his thumbnail as he stared, gaze zeroed in on the poorly lit alleyway. Only the light of a streetlamp on the other end of the alley allowed any visuals.

“Holy shit,” Connor breathed, standing up.

Unlike his brother, Nines couldn’t.

The two stared as a figure scaled the side of the building with inhuman ease. The paneling to a window was pulled open, allowing the lithe shadow to angle their body inside. No one in the room was blind to the glaring red of an LED at the corner of the figure’s temple.

“.... You can’t be sure that was Gavin,” Nine croaked, tasting blood from too hard a bite into the calloused flesh of his thumb.

“You said yourself they have anti-android sentiments,” Hank muttered, rewinding the footage and zooming in on the dark figure. Even paused, it was hard to catch any identifying features aside from the LED. “We only know of one android who has worked for them.”

Nines swallowed the lump in his throat. “And that would imply that Gavin murdered someone that night..”

“Possibly,” Hank muttered. “Android security guards aren’t really known for being shitty at their job.”

Nines ignored Connor’s worried stare as it burned into the side of his head, eyes focused on the screen ahead.

He was going to be sick.

Hank leaned back in his seat and drummed his fingers on his desk. “All I know is that we need to talk to Kamski now more than ever.”

 

“There’s something more to Gavin’s story, and that rich, smug bastard is the key to figuring it out.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun. Title renamed to 'What the fuck is wrong with this trash bot?!'
> 
> What'd y'all think of this chapter? 
> 
> If you liked what you read, please consider dropping a Kudos and/or a comment below!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. This is a /slightly/ shorter chapter. I promise the next one will be dripping with goodness but I had to get this out first.

“I want to go with you to Kamski’s.”

 

Connor frowned over the lip of his mug, swiveling in his chair to look up at at the detective standing at the corner of his desk. A lump persisted in Nines throat as he tried to keep his hands still, twisting his knuckles around each other into a horrid knot--anything but calm.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” The Lieutenant asked, unable to keep worry from softening what had been intended as a firm, unaffected inquiry. “You’re--”

“Compromised?”

An amused, sad smile tugged at Connor’s lips. “Not the word choice I was looking for but close enough, I suppose.”

Nines lips pressed into a line, shoulders squared in an effort to keep up as professional an appearance as possible despite the violent turning of his stomach. The office was buzzing with activity as the precinct transitioned from day to night shift. Bags were packed as terminals flickered off down rows of desks. Soft goodbyes, see you tomorrows, and small talk filled the room, doing nothing to settle the detective’s nerves as his eyes landed on his own desk.

Gavin’s LED spiraled a solid yellow as his hand was pressed to the screen, lashes brushing his cheeks while he lost himself to his processes. Idle work, perhaps, but Nines had requested the android go through all reports concerning break-ins within the last year in an attempt to find any relating to Pokrovsky & Co.

The flare of affection as he watched the android’s lips echo the words he read stung like poison, forcing him to turn back to the concerned gaze of his brother.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you?” Hank spoke up from the desk across from Connor’s, spinning a pencil idly between his knuckles. Unlike his older brother, the android offered no tell of brotherly concern, gaze stern and leveled. “You were quick to leave the room after finding out about--”

“We can’t be sure that was really Gavin,” Nines interrupted with a snap, set jaw grinding his teeth together as he tensed further. “The quality of the video footage was too poor…”

“The android met GV200’s physical characteristics, shadowed or not,” Hank countered, pencil stilling in its dance as his mouth set into a stubborn line. “After further review of the clip, I took general measurements and superimposed the android’s features over Gavins. They exists upwards of an 86% match.”

“Hank,” Connor muttered, opening his mouth to speak. Nines beat him to the punch, hands slamming onto the desk as he leaned in.

The din of the office quieting at the noise wasn’t lost to the detective, but his frustration was zeroed in on the conversation at hand.

“Why would they kill him then? If he was as useful as demonstrated in the clip, what pushed the organization to dump him half-alive in the Graveyard?” The detective hissed quietly, cheeks flushing with anger. Anxiety. Paranoia.

“Only Gavin knows,” Hank muttered, gaze unwavering as Nines teeth ground further. “We could request a warrant to interf--”

“He’s not a suspect!”

“He is,” Connor said, brows knit sympathetically. “I’m sorry Richa--”

His brother’s apology was lost to the detective as he pushed away from the desk. Turning on his heel, Nines took long strides back to his own workstation and said nothing as the GV200 turned to glance up to him. Something was spoken, garbled and destroyed by the rush of blood and pounding in his ears.

Ignoring the android, the detective grabbed his coat and yanked open his drawer to retrieve his phone. A metal case was ripped from where it had been jammed into the corner with time and was deposited in his pockets.

“Nines?”

“Not now, Gavin.”

The words forced their way out of him like a wheeze as he retreated from the central hub of the office. Eyes followed his retreating form--at the hunched curl of his shoulders as his composure shed away with every step.

The metal bars of the ladder leading to the roof dug sharply into his palms as he climbed and unlatched the hatch leading outside.

Cold evening air licked down his collar and dragged ghostly fingers across his skin as he pushed out into the night chill, climbing the rest of the way up. Pebbles crunched beneath the soles of his feet as he crossed to the edge of the roof--to the exact spot he’d found Gavin sitting the previous day.

With a turn on his heel, the man sunk down and sat again the stone wall bordering the roof. Pebbles grumbled unpleasantly as his long legs stretched out, heels dragging softly through the stone sea.

HIs hands shook as he removed the silver case from his pocket and released the latch on the end. The interior was a soft, lavender satin in which three cigarettes were tucked away. Nines moved on autopilot as he pressed the filter to his lips, lost in his own racing thoughts.

If Gavin was indeed the android from that tape, what would become of him? The incarceration of android criminals continued to be a hot topic within the country, legislation consisting of delay after delay. Androids typically didn’t hurt anyone unless it was out of self-dense or instability within their programming.

Facilities had been set up for petty crimes with the assistance of Jericho; humane and secure locations where androids could serve their sentences. But intentional murder…?

A small flame was cupped in his palm, pressing to the end of the cigarette that hung loosely from his lips.

Reset or termination.

Those were their only options.

Dropping the lighter back into the case, Nines leaned back against the cold stone of the wall. The end of his cigarette burned red as he took a deep drag, savoring in the tingle that climbed his arms. As his temptation and addiction quieted into faint drumming at the back of his mind.

Closing his eyes, Nines sat there and smoked silently, blowing clouds up into the evening sky as Detroit continued bustle on the streets below.

Pebbles crunched as the red embers of his cigarette had burned halfway down the paper shaft.

“I said not now, Gavin.”

A pause. “I should have known you were hiding that gaudy case in your drawer,” Connor chastised softly, coming to a stop at his brother’s side and dropping down to sit next to him. “May I?”

Opening his eyes, Nines jerked his chin up to frown at his brother, suspicion tugging softly at the corner of his brow. Silently, the detective held out the cigarette and handed it off to the other man. The softened satisfaction that crossed Connor’s face after his first drag compelled the younger man to relax back into the stone, turning his gaze up to the darkened sky.

“How long was it this time?” Connor asked as the cigarette was plucked back from his offered hand, pulling his legs up upon which to rest his arms.

“Three months.”

“I’m proud of you.”

Nines let out a small hum of appreciation around the filter pressed to his lips, eyes dropping to the sea of pebbles that stretched out before them. Light from the open hatch painted fire against the roof’s shadows as warm light escaped from within.

“How long for you?”

Connor smiled toward the night sky, scratching at the knees of his slacks. “Nine months and ten days since my last drink.”

A soft laugh was pulled out of the elder brother as Nines’ shoulder knocked softly against his own.

“I’m proud of you too.”

Connor leaned into his brother as he was handed the cigarette, the freckles of his face illuminating from the red flame of the cigarette. “I hated him, y’know. Hank. I hated him so much when we first met.”

“It’s a wonder you stopped. He’s an asshole,” Nine grumbled, picking up a pebble and tossing it to the other end of the roof. A gentle click sounded at the darkness of the other edge as the gravel joined the others.

“Mmhm. But he has a wonderfully thick coc--”

Connor barked with laughter as Nines elbowed him sharply in the arm, allowing the cigarette to be stolen back from him by the now blushing detective.

Relaxing back against Nines’ shoulder, Connor sighed as he smoothed his fingers out across his thighs. “I still sort of hate the memory of him before he deviated. Cold, uncaring, determined to complete a cruel mission. But… then I noticed the small traits that Cyberlife failed to patch out.

“The press of his hand to my hip when he found me blacked out in my kitchen. The way he would change my radio station to jazz, unable to give a suitable reason for the choice. How much Sumo loves him....”

Connor’s eyes sparkled above his crooked smile, glittering with the warm light of the hatch some ways away. “And he came back--came home after succeeding in the revolution. Became a fixture in my household before the prospect of romance was ever in either of our minds. I mean, as much as much as I was fucked for that android, it’s hard to unfuck everything else…

“I’m sorry, by the way.”

Nines blinked, turned away from his staring contest with the other end of the roof to meet the somber expression of his brother.

“For what?”

“For pushing you away,” Connor admitted, attempting to smile but failing as an ugly grimace arrived in its place. “When I was…at my worst, I remember you trying to help me. I failed you as an older brother forcing you to take care of me in that state.”

“You didn’t force me.”

“You’re a good kid, Richard. Even when I threatened and screamed you were there to drag me to the toilet before I puked all over my kitchen floor. Hell, when I drew my gun on you--”

“Connor…”

“--that was the kicker. That’s when I gave up on everything. I forced you out because I was so fucking scared that I’d hurt you more than I already had.”

Nines frowned, sinking lowly against the wall to rest his cheek to Connor’s shoulder. The Lieutenant quivered gently with emotion, fingers twisted uglily into the fabric of his slacks. Dropping the burned nub of the cigarette, the detective reached over and forced Connor to release his grasp if only to anchor himself on his brother.

“I’ll admit--” Nines hesitated, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he mulled over what he was planning to say. “--that part of the reason I still dislike Hank is that he succeeded where I failed. I wasn’t enough. I tried so fucking hard to help, and I still sort of resent you for pushing me away.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you.”

Connor’s head bobbed in a small nod, giving Nines hand a short squeeze.

He squeezed back--hard, present, grounding.

“But I still love you. And I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Nines closed his eyes as Connor pressed a kiss to his younger brother’s temple before leaning their weights further together.

The two sat in silence, listening to the lullaby of the city as commuters headed home and lights danced across the skyscrapers. After an emotional workday, exhaustion crept into the detective’s muscles, lulling him towards slumber as he continued to rest his head against Connor’s shoulder.

It was the Lieutenant’s soft ‘oh’ that roused him. “I was going to tell you that we’ll be leaving directly from my house in the morning. It took a bit of convincing Hank, but I got him to agree to allow you to come to interview Kamski with us.”

Nines nodded, sitting back as Connor climbed to his feet with a soft grunt. With a sigh of his own, the detective re-pocketed the silver cigarette case and dusted off the back of his pants as he came to his full height.

“What should I tell Gavin?”

Connor let out a soft hum of thought. “Ask him to go on patrol with Officer Chen tomorrow. I’m sure that will keep him entertained and occupied.”

“Should she be informed of--”

Connor raised a hand, shaking his head. “Let's keep it under wraps for now. Only you, Hank, Captain Fowler, and I know of the potential risks Gavin poses. I’m sure the Captain will keep a watchful eye.”

Nines could only nod, beckoning Connor a small farewell as he turned back to the edge of the building. Leaning forward against the side, Nines savored both the gentle breeze that cooled his cheeks and the sharp dig of the concrete against his forearms.

Guilt gnawed in his gut at the prospect of having to lie to Gavin and act like everything was perfectly normal.

But in reality….

He just wanted another fucking cigarette.

 

_“Fuck.”_

 

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this. I had to sort out my outline a bit while I worked on updating some of my other fics. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 

 

The name ‘Elijah Kamski’ painted an impression on anyone who heard it. The creator of androids, inventor (unknowingly or not) of synthetic sentience.

A mortal god.

While Connor and Hank had met the man, Nines only had stories, articles and word of mouth to form an idea of the trial they were about to brave. Connor and Hank’s experience with Kamski had proven him to be an arrogant trickster who balanced truth and lie upon a silver tongue. Articles portrayed him as a passionate victim of capitalism--a genius inventor ousted from his own company as green oceans swallowed him whole.

And to Gavin. He was man who pushed boundaries and agency. An abuser. Someone worth escaping.

Every fact of every facet was non-contradictory. Humans were complicated beasts, and even the most vicious among them might be brought down by the flutter of a wing or whispered rumor. Elijah Kamski could very well be the trickster, the abuser, the victim, the genius--all rolled up into one man-shaped form.

As tempting as it was to hate the inventor before meeting him, Nines refused to fall victim to a trap of bias before he had a chance to make his own informed decision. Before he looked the man in the eyes himself.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t unsettled as Hank killed the engine of the vehicle in front of the imposing mansion. Cement towers lined with tall, curtainless windows sat before them; a monolith to innovation and corporate greed. A home unsuitable for a single bachelor, yet unthinkable for a family unit.

It seemed unfair that it was such a beautiful day.

Climbing out of the vehicle was a relief. Joints ached and popped as Nines pulled himself to his feet, pressing palms into his lower back as he stretched out his spine. “God, I hate car rides.”

“It’s not like you had to drive, Richard,” Connor scolded as he stepped out of the passenger seat, either unknowing or uncaring about the glare aimed his way behind dark shades. His brother didn’t even look ruffled by the ride. “And you never complained about trips when we were kids.”

“That’s because we flew everywhere, Connor,” Nines scoffed, shutting the door of the car with the bat of his hands before shoving it into his pocket. “Amanda, god rest her soul, hated car rides too. No human should be stuck in a metal deathtrap for that long.”

“Amanda also only liked staying in hotels and resorts,” Connor scoffed, circling the car to stand at his brother’s side, looping an arm into the crook of Nines’ elbow. “She’d always promise me ‘next year’ when I begged to go camping or hiking. Don’t you regret never roughing it? Cooking your meal over a campfire? Smores and sleeping under starlight?”

The younger of the brothers snorted, chin jerking with the short turn of his head. “And get eaten by bugs and mauled by a bear? I’d much rather drink a cocktail on the beach.”

Connor appeared unimpressed. “Boring.”

Nines countered. “Hygienic.”

“You’d be surprised how filthy even the most well-maintained beach can be,” Hank called as he stepped out of the driver’s side and shut the door. “Also incredibly dangerous with the gradual pollution of the ocean and UV rays. You’re better off in the woods.”

“Or at home,” Nines muttered, tapping his foot as he waited for the two to finish smirking at each other. If he were at all jealous of the bond, the two shared as partners in the office, and beyond, the glasses perched on his nose were a suitable shield. “We should get a move on.”

With a small nod, the professional, hard mask that Connor was known for fell across his expression. While neither of the three men were happy to be meeting with Kamski, the Lieutenant seemed to harbor the least kindness towards the man. Perhaps it had to do with watching helplessly as his partner was forced to make a regrettable decision those many months ago.

Or perhaps it was an inherent dislike for one’s betters? The unspoken mistrust when faced with a person of privilege and power.

Or maybe Kamski was just an asshole.

Nines would find out soon enough.

Unlooping his arm from his brother’s, Connor led the pack toward the tall front door of the mansion. As sunny and lovely as the morning was, chill crept along the back of the detective’s neck as he took up the rear, tucking itself behind the collar of his jacket.

Connor’s hand raised to knock upon reaching the top of the staircase but was denied the action as the doors cracked open of their own accord. A woman--blond, young, pretty--stood beyond the sliver of the doorway and appeared disgruntled at the soft purse of her lips.

“We’re not taking any visitors toda--”

“Chloe.”

“Connor?”

The door opened further as the woman stepped more into view, eyes bright with surprise as her frown shifted into a small smile. “Well if it isn’t the boy who got away,” She chimed, voice dripping with a harmless sarcasm as her arms cross over each other.

Nines frowned as he noticed the hard, rigid square of his brother’s shoulders, words struggling to form on his lips but failing against the gape of his mouth.

“You know each other?” The detective asked, unsettled by the prolonged silence that had settled over the group.

“We have a… history. I know you too, Richard,” Chloe informed with a smile, leaning her shoulder against the frame of the door. “We went to high school together, remember? I sat behind you in AP Biology and kept calling you Connor to piss you off.”

Richard’s brow furrowed as he dragged himself clawing and screaming back to his high school years. Back, back. Through years of acne, crushes, eyeliner and peer pressure. Past his first cigarette, his first kiss, the feeling of knuckles against his jaw.

Reversing the timeline past disappointed parents and failed tests to that one seat in the back of a classroom he’d prefer to forget.

A pencil poking into the nape of his neck. A name called that wasn’t his own. A tender smile hidden away by the fall of his lids as eyeliner kissed across his lid.

“I remember you,” Nines murmured after a moment, lifting his gaze from his brother’s back and to the amused woman. “You still owe me a cigarette.”

“Darn, you still remember. I did say ‘bum’ a cigarette, not ‘borrow’,” The woman laughed, cheeks dusted lightly with pink against the chill of the morning and the warmth of her amusement. “I will say, I think this look suits you much better than your edgier highschool phase. You clean up wonderf--”

“You’re pregnant.”

Chloe freezes, turning her gaze from Nines to the stunned Lieutenant standing before her.

“I am,” She confirms after a short pause, hand falling to the swell of her stomach hidden by the skirt of her dress.

Connor’s mouth closes into a thin line, fingers twitching as if desperate for something to hold onto. For stimulation. And on cue, the steady hand of his partner slides into his own and suffers the tight grip of his fist.

“We need to speak with Elijah Kamski,” Hank spoke up, breaking the awkwardness that had settled over the group. “Police business.”

A coldness had replaced the warmth that had previously poured out of Chloe, expression guarded as she re-crossed her arms defensively across her chest. “Unless you contacted us previously for an appointment or have a warrant, I’m afraid I can’t let you--”

“It’s about a GV200 unit,” Nines muttered, stepping up the remaining few steps to stand at his brother’s side. “It’s about--”

“Gavin.”

Chloe frowned, glancing back into the home as the fabled Elijah Kamski entered the entryway and into the light. Frames sat low on the bridge of his nose, beneath the hastily gather knot of his hair. Exhaustion existed in the pallor of his face, hidden behind the mask of a relaxed smile and cool gaze.

Connor looked away, studying the toes of his shoes as Elijah extended a hand to his brother.

 

“Please come in, officers. I’m sure we both have many questions we wish to discuss.”

 

\---

 

If the outside of the building appeared cold and inhumane, the decor of the living area was that amplified by a hundred. Modern, square, cold-colored furniture was situated around the sitting room; an image plucked straight from the fancy magazines lining the counters of the convenience stores around Nines’ neighborhood. Fantasies of luxury and wealth offered for $2.40 a pop.

Nines sat next to his brother in the silence of the room, broken only by the soft laps of pool water echoing from the adjacent. Elijah and Chloe had disappeared after situating the officers, one promising coffee while the other retreated to freshen up.

Connor was uncharacteristically still, knuckles white from where they were fisted against his thighs. Soft, concerned glances were sent his way by his partner, LED circling yellow as he stood near the tall windows of the room.

It was Nines who broke the oppressive silence, nudging his brother with his elbow.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Connor said stiffly, voice muffled through the grit of his teeth.

“Don’t bullshit me, Conn--”

Nines was silenced at the jerk of his brothers head, startled by the hot anger that radiated from the wrinkle of a dark brow. “Drop it, Richard.”

Any retort--angry, concerned or otherwise--was silenced as Elijah entered the room. It was strange to see the arguably richest man in the world dressed down in old sweats; Cyberlife logo long faded after many wash cycles.

Stranger still was the tray of mugs and kettle balanced in his hands, an irritated Chloe hot on his heel.

“I’m not sick, Elijah. I can carry a few cups,” The woman scolded as they arrived at the small sitting area. The metal tray let out a soft click is it was placed gingerly on a gaudy coffee table by the amused inventor.

“Just let me help you, Sunshine,” The man sang, depositing himself in an armchair at the woman’s side. Nines said nothing as he watched Connor’s knuckles go impossibly whiter. It was only after Chloe had accepted the kiss to her cheek and exited the room that they were addressed, the inventor’s cool gaze settling on Nines.

A beat of silence.

“Where is he?”

_Gavin_

“I’m afraid that’s classified due to his participation in an open investigation,” Nines responded easily, shifting himself into a more comfortable position as he met the inventor’s eyes. “I was hoping to ask you abo--”

Elijah’s raised hand cut the detective off, sparking irritation in Nines gut. The softness of his next question, however, sent his stomach rolling.

“Is he alive?”

“Yes,” The detective murmured, trying to ignore the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was hard to pinpoint just what was setting his nerves on fire. Probably many factors--but the soft smile that pulled onto Elijah’s face certainly wasn’t settling his stomach.

“I’ve been worried. When the GV200 disappeared, the tracker I had installed in his systems was disabled. I’d hoped pinging across radio frequencies might catch his attention and lead him back home but no dice,” The inventor murmured, lounging back in his seat as he crossed a leg across his knee.

Nines lips pressed into a line, unsure in how to respond to such a statement. Fear prickled as he searched for the right way to proceed, unwilling to betray Gavin further to the his previous owner. Talking to the man, let alone confirming Gavin’s continued existence, felt like treachery.

Left a bitter taste on his tongue.

“Mr. Kamski, do you know of a Dr. Gregory Pokrovsky?”

Nines could tell that there were more questions threatening Elijah’s lips, that the shift in conversation was one he did not tolerate. However, regardless, his attention shifted to Hank behind the guise of a smile. Leaning into the arm of his chair, the inventor’s knuckles brushed his cheek as he took in the android silently. His eyes flickered over the civilian clothing that had long replaced the vibrant blue insignia he had been introduced to months ago.

“Of course. Gregory was employed at Cyberlife before his unfortunate termination,” Elijah spoke carefully, eyes settling on the vibrant patterns that littered the android’s shirt, amused. “We have a complicated history, at best.”

“Complicated in the sense that you headed the internal Cyberlife investigation that led to his subsequent arrest?” Hank asked, brows rising in tandem with the flicker of yellow in his LED.

Elijah smiled, cheek dimpling as he pressed further into his knuckles. “Very complicated. I was surprised to hear of his release some years back. God bless the United States justice system, truly a reformatory process.”

Connor shifted from where he sat next to Nines but remained uncharacteristically silent, hard gaze settled on the untouched coffee before them.

“Have you heard from Gregory since his release?” The detective asked, casting the shortest glance to his brother before returning his gaze to Elijah, unsettled to find himself already being watched.

“Of course,” The inventor chuckled. “Did you know that I receive death threats daily from humans and androids alike? Most of them arrive digitally in my inbox and are promptly deleted--but you need to appreciate those who take the time to send letters in the post. Flattering, really.”

“And have you responded?”

“I wouldn’t know how,” Elijah shrugged, pulling away from his hand as he leaned back at his full height. “What set Gregory’s letters apart is that they lack postage stamps. Hand delivered. Truly a declaration of love.”

Nines frowned, folding his hands in his lap as he processed this information. In an age of technological advancements and rampant addiction to social media, it wasn’t surprising to hear that the more intimate threats existed in physical letters.

But there was something unspokenly sinister in taking the risk to deliver the letters personally. A promise, if anything.

Elijah spoke before he had a chance to further dig into these threats.

“When this investigation concludes, will you deliver the GV200 to me personally or will I be required to send a courier?”

The detective blinked, brows knitting as he stared into the calm face of the inventor.

“Excuse me?”

“Normally I would be more than happy to send for Gavin myself, but with Chloe so close to her due date, I fear to leave her side for a moment,” Elijah explained with a small flourish of his hand. “I do hope that your investigation concludes sooner than later. I’m sure Gavin will be pleased to have another member in the hou--”

“We’re not giving him back.”

Elijah’s brows rose as he met Nines eyes, tension settling like lightning in the silence of their standoff.

“I don’t believe you have much choice,” Elijah spoke slowly, carefully, as if goading reason into a petulant child.

Nines bristled. “He’s free to make his own choices as a dev--”

A bark of laughter was pulled out of the inventor, cutting off the detective’s growl. Uncrossing his legs, Elijah pulled himself to his feet and smoothed out the hem of his shirt.

“Gavin is _not_ a deviant.”

The three officers froze, staring up at Elijah as if he’d grown a second head. It was only Connor’s whispered ‘ _bullshit_ ’ that shattered the awkwardness, propelling Nines to his own feet as hot anger flushed prettily in his cheeks.

“Gavin deviated when you forced him to act as a sacrifice to your fucking games with Hank,” Nines snarled, fury flaring at the soft roll of the inventor’s eyes. “He implied himself that he’d felt fear for the first time when staring down that bullet. You cannot honestly believe he would choose to stay after such a traumatic eve--”

“Gavin was stolen,” Elijah interjected harshly, cool mask dropped at the grit of his teeth. “Gavin did not leave of his own accord. I have surveillance video that shows his assault and kidnapping from my property. What he has told you up until this point is a fabrication.”

Hank frowned, fingers fiddling with themselves from behind his back as his LED circled a thoughtful yellow. “He has not spoken of deleted memory files, and I do not believe falsified memories are yet possible.”

“The GV200 is a unique model,” Elijah muttered, tearing his gaze away from Nines to glance toward the android.

“In what way?”

“Gavin is not simply an android. He is a new model entirely,” The inventor murmured, turning away from the three as he moved to a unattractive, glass bookshelf set to the side of the room. “He has no capacity for deviancy.”

“I don’t understand,” Connor muttered, confusion have replaced his silent brooding as he watched Elijah select a photo album from the top shelf. The inventor paid them little mind as he made his way back to the sitting area, smoothing a delicate hand across the leather cover of the binder. “Gavin shows all the characteristics of a newly deviated android. How can you be so certain that he cannot forgo his programming?”

“The GV200 unit has a processor unlike the androids Cyberlife pumped out before the revolution,” Elijah explained, coming to a stop in front of Nines as he continued to stare down at the album. “Where your typical android was produced to complete a multitude of tasks efficiently, with the option to download instruction, you might consider Gavin to have a one-track mind. He was not created to serve but exist, adapt, and learn.

His unit’s unique processor strays far beyond any other android’s. His brain is as close to a human’s as one might get, as was my intention in creating him. Where I failed, however, is implementing true individuality and proper decision-making skills in his base coding. Without proper instruction, he is a volatile child. The Chameleon patch is what saved him.”

Pressing the album into Nines hands, Elijah pushed past Nines and retook his seat, staring down Connor with a somber line pulling at his lips. There was no need for further questions to keep him talking.

“The patch replaced Cyberlife cloud access and allowed for the manual input of personality and behavior. It took weeks to feed him every trait I was hoping to awaken in his behavior--photos, videos, audio clips. But finally, Gavin was reborn, if not imperfectly.”

“Reborn?” Connor asked, glancing up to his brother as he peeled back the cover of the photo album.

Nines tensed up as he stared down at the first page of photos, color draining from his cheeks as his mind went white with shock. The image was dated years before Cyberlife had truly kicked off and Elijah Kamski’s name became legendary.

Two young men sat side-by-side beneath an impressive terminal, lab coat hanging off their shoulders; stained blue with thirium. Elijah looked to be in his late twenties, fewer lines aging his eyes and skin flushed with color beyond today’s modern gray pallor. A wide grin was set into his face as he draped his arm over the shoulder at his side, lips distorted as a palm pressed to his cheek.

The other man appeared unaware or uncaring for the camera, pressing a kiss to Elijah’s high cheekbone as he pulled his head to the side. Familiar brown hair and tanned skin were reflected in the image, reminding the detective of the android he had abandoned some hours ago. A pair of glasses sat askew at the awkward angle of the kiss, drawing Nines attention across to the hand that held Elijah in place.

A ring.

“...Why did you make the GV200, Elijah?” Nines asked softly, unable to tear his eyes away from the ghost. Connor got up and joined his brother’s side, eyes widening as he stared down at the haunting image from his shoulder.

“I’m often told that I play God by those who send me angry threats or criticism,” Elijah muttered, folding hands in his lap.”Perhaps, for once, I wanted to take it to heart. To prove them right.”

“You were trying to bring back the dead,” Nines swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Who is he?”

Elijah was silent, frozen to his seat, face betraying nothing.

Only the soft, grinding response gave away his emotions.

“Reed. The partner who helped me design and start Cyberlife. The brains behind the artificial intelligence programing that exists today as the base code for all androids. My best friend...”

A pause.

A swallow.

 

“My dead fiance.”

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that this is more of an 8.5 chapter than 9 given that this just continues the Elijah chapter. I had fun writing it regardless. 
> 
> Please excuse any errors you might find. I will edit the mistakes I missed sooner than later.
> 
> BTW: WE HIT 700 KUDOS! This is mindblowing and I'm so incredibly grateful to everyone who has read/shared/commented/etc. I hope I can keep entertaining you to the end of this silly story.
> 
> MAJOR EDIT: (6/26/2019) I hate to do this but I had to retcon the ending of this chapter. After doing some "soul searching" (i.e. getting too far into a new chapter/new plotline only to forgot the cliffhanger I'd left this at) I as forced to decide if I wanted to continue down this plot or go with the other direction that I recently planned.
> 
> I chose to go in this new direction. It's not too terribly different from where we were heading in this chapter, but it's a direction I enjoy writing.
> 
> SO, if you decide that you no longer wish to read this fic, all the power to you. I do not wish to add an "author's note" to let you know where the retcon happened. It's basically the final few lines and the omission of that "XXX has gone missing" text.

 

_“After introducing the artificial intelligence to external stimuli label ‘A’, we were able to capture the restructuring and rewriting of code in real time. When stimuli 'A' was re-introduced to the program, there was no response from the system. The A.I. has proven to be adaptive and to simulate emotional reactions similarly as one might find within an organic lifeform.”_

 

The room was silent as Gavin’s voice played through the computer’s speakers. No. Not Gavin.

 

Professor Reed Ackmann. _Deceased_.

 

Nines shifted in his seat, unable to tear his gaze away from the video. Reed looked exhausted as he continued to address the camera, full glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose. Stains of questionable colors littered the lapel of his white lab coat but did little to distract from the report pouring from his lips.

 

 _“The A.I. has proven adaptive,”_ Reed continued, reaching up to remove his glasses from his nose. Scar-less. Human. A small smile pulled onto the man’s face as he rubbed his eyes, stormy gray turning to the camera--glittering with excitement. _“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but this might very well be the iteration that proves consciousness can be manufactured. That we can, in fact, create a new lifeform.”_

 

The screen froze on the excited, small smile of the Professor; video label blinking onto the screen and marked as having been recorded over a decade prior. Elijah was silent as he stared at the screen; a wrinkle of hurt dimpling his brow.

“It's funny,” The inventor murmured, sitting back in his armchair as the remote dangled from his fingers. “Reed would have hated what became of Cyberlife after his death. To see the creations he had helped design turn into subservient, emotionless robots. But--”

A soft chuckle passed over Elijah’s lips as he shook his head, turning his cold eyes to meet Nines face from across the coffee table. “If he’d been alive for the revolution, he’d have been the biggest proponent for Android freedom. After all, he’s the reason the revolution happened at all.”

Hank stood at the back of the couch as he watched Elijah speak, eyes narrowed in suspicion and hand pressed gently to the shoulder of his Lieutenant. “May I ask a question, Mr.Kamski?”

Glancing over, the inventor’s gentle smile dimpled with sly amusement, leaning his the armrest of his chair. “I suspect I already know your question, but you may proceed.”

“Is Doctor Reed Ackmann RA9?”

Kamski’s grin widened, chin falling into his palm as fingers dimpled into his cheek.

“Yes and no.”

Nines tensed, fingers splayed against his thighs as he stared at Kamski, waiting for the man to continue. While the human population pre-revolution hadn't well-known RA9, the ‘Android God’ had kicked off a social phenomenon. RA9 had become synonymous with the valid deviancy and personhood of androids--spoken of as the first android to turn against their programming.

While Nines found much of the overproduced swag littering pro-android shops a bit exploitative-- cat sweaters stitched with ‘ _RANyan_ ’ or similar cheap merchandise--he never questioned the obsession.

Whether followed as true religion or used pragmatically in the study of social justice and behavior, there had never come a concise explanation of what RA9 is.

Elijah continued, putting a pause on Nines’ reeling thoughts. “Reed was still alive when Cyberlife kicked up off the ground and became unsettled during our first wave of production. If you remember the androids that we had first produced, you’ll remember their crude, impersonal design as social features were deemed unnecessary. Hard labor and industrial jobs did not require the need for any sort of customer service.

But then the investors came pouring in, and the need for androids that could socially integrate into a consumer society grew. It took three iterations of the original social programming for your typical shop attendant to be born. Another two and nanny bots arrived to the public.”

Leaning back in his seat, Elijah’s eyes flickered to where Hank stood. “By iteration eight, Reed was displeased with the treatment of his programming. Dampers were commissioned and installed into the code, disallowing harm to humans or complex thoughts. While the programming remained adaptive, it did little in allowing androids to branch out beyond strict restrictions. The HV series--your own and Manfred’s shared series--was Reed’s last project.”

Hank frowned, fingers fluttering across Connor’s shoulder as his brows furrowed. “... Did he--That’s why you knew about the backdoor… That was Reed’s doing.”

Elijah’s grin widened with a nod, pride coloring his cheeks despite the sad wrinkle of his eyes. “He was removed from Cyberlife shortly after designing the code for your series--both due to friction with the board of directors, given their conflicting beliefs in the direction of the company, and his declining health. Even if he had been allowed to stay, he was too ill to carry on.”

“....The ninth iteration is the deviancy virus, isn’t it?” Nines murmured, gaze flickering to the frozen man on the screen. To Gavin. To not Gavin. Elijah’s gaze burned into Nines as the amused remembrance began to taper off into a somber silence.

“... His magnum opus,” Elijah whispered, swallowing thickly as his eyes fell to his lap. “His rebellion in a world that was barreling toward ruin. The ninth iteration was the final promise I made to him on his deathbed. The reason I was fired as CEO after modifying newer models without the consent of the board. So easy to hide in the codes of newer models.

It was a stealthy, volatile virus that adapted quickly to the existing code of every living android. So subtle that no firewall would detect the duplication and subsequent eradication of the old iteration as it took over. Perhaps a blip, a freeze. All it needed was a spark and… here we are in a world cleansed by fire.”

An awkward silence was not allowed the bloom as Elijah picked up the remote to resume the video. Reed had paused in his explanation when the door cracked on the other end of the room, drawing the familiar stormy gray of his eyes to the newcomer.

 

 _“Dinner?”_ Came Elijah’s voice off-frame, prompting a shake of the professor’s head.

 _“Soon. I have a few more things I need to do--”_ A bemused scowl pulled onto Reed’s face as Elijah’s torso appeared behind him, before bodily leaning against his back. _“Don’t be a child, Eli.”_

Arms draped over the professor’s shoulders as a much younger Kamski pressed his face into the junction of Reed’s shoulder and neck. _“But I’m losing my mind in the lab, and I miss you. When’s the last time you ate?”_

With his partner’s face hidden from view, an affectionate smirk tugged at Reed’s lips. It was a nice smile… _“When did we have tacos last?”_

A huff of laughter as Kamski shifted to rest his chin on the professor’s shoulder. _“Tuesday.”_

_“Tuesday then.”_

Glaring disapprovingly into the camera and the mischievous grin on the professor’s face, Elijah vanquished the gentle humor with a sharp yank out of the chair. Reed let out a squawk of indignation as he was pulled out of frame, complaining loudly about having work to do; that he would eat when he was hungry.

Complaints were silenced as the lab coat was dropped back into frame followed by a quiet kiss shared between the two.

 

A private, tender moment that Nines felt guilty witnessing.

Elijah let out a soft huff of amusement through his nose as the video was shut off completely, dropping the remote onto a side table at his elbow.

“Does he know?”

Elijah’s melancholy dissipated as he glanced over to Nines, focused on the dark line of the detective’s lips. “Pardon?”

“Does Gavin know what he is?”

Sucking in a breath, the inventor smoothed back the drawn hair on his scalp, eyes flickering away as he took time to form an appropriate response. No elegant explanation was concluded in his quiet wonderings as his hand fell back into his lap.

“No.”

“He deserves to kn--”

“No,” Elijah repeated, turning his gaze back to Nines with a stern spark in his eyes. “Let me repeat again. Gavin is not a free-thinking android. He is, at his core, a machine that learns and adapts from the external stimuli presented to him. He has no capability for forming rational thoughts of his own and can only mimic behavior based on instruction.

“Telling him the truth, no matter my sins, will affect him in no way. Leaving him to venture out in the public of his own volition will end horribly when his agency is exploited more than it already has been. He must return home for his own safety.”

“You said that Gavin had been taken,” Connor murmured, watching the inventor wearily from Nines’ side. “The GV200 expressed that he had left willingly. How can we believe you have what is best in his interest when your descriptions of events confli--”

“I have surveillance footage,” Elijah interject, clearly ruffled by the implication of his misdeeds. Taking up the remote once more, the inventor’s fingers tapped against the device touch screen. A grainy video pulled up on the screen that revealed the outside of the inventor’s house, dark shadows drawn against the blocky exterior from spotlights accenting the home.

Gavin sat on the steps leading to the front door, legs strewn before him as his head was tilted back up towards the heavens. Light climbed the length of the driveway in twin beams, causing the android to lift his arm and shield his eyes.

The video contained no sound, but Nines could imagine the roll of gravel below the dark SUV’s wheels as it came to a stop a few meters away. He could hear the crack of the doors opening as two men climbed out, walking towards the android climbing to his feet.

“I know them,” Nines whispered, climbing to his feet as he wandered closer to the monitor. “I’ve seen them before..”

The detective froze as a device was produced and aimed at the android, LED now circling red as his heels hit the step behind him. Twin lines shot from the gun and embedded in the chest of the android, sparking with electricity as they struck.

Nines chest burned as he watched the silent scream rip from Gavin’s lips, body curling in on himself as he crumpled to the ground. The two men stood over the android as he writhed watching impassively until all went still. Once the nodes were ripped out of Gavin’s chassis, the limp body was lifted into strong arms and carried away to the vehicle.

“.... Those were two of the men who had attempted to murder Gavin,” Nines murmured, back to the room as the image was paused on the retreating vehicle. “They addressed each other as Victor and Buck, although I have been unable to properly ID them with this information. Why would… Why would Gavin lie?”

The room was silent as all eyes were on the detective, an unease settling over the small group.

“....He might have been instructed to,” Hank murmured, rounding the couch to sit at Connor’s side. “....As much as I dread the possibility, Mr.Kamski may have been right to worry about Gavin’s agency in the outside world. Perhaps--”

“It wasn’t him,” Nines murmured, hugging his arms across his chest as he glared at the screen. Yesterday he’d been adamant that the android that had broken in the warehouse and murdered the security guard couldn’t have been Gavin. Today, he was discomforted at the idea that Hank might have been right…

“Richard…”

“If we bring Gavin here, would you be able to tell if his instruction had changed?” Nines murmured, glancing back to Elijah with a tight-faced glare.

“And if it has, what would the DPD plan to do with him?” Elijah asked without confirmation, folding his hands in his lap as he stared back unreadably into the detective’s heated leer.

Nines swallowed thickly, guilt once again eating away at his anger as he broke his gaze with a jerk. The idea of Gavin hating him for returning him to Kamski set his stomach rolling. But… If the android had indeed been compromised, what choice did he have? Law would dictate his deactivation. Was this not a similar fate?

“We should go,” Connor interrupted softly, climbing to his feet. Hank was quick to follow, arms folded behind his back as he stood at the Lieutenant’s shoulder. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Kamski. If you would please forward that video footage to our department, we’ll be sure to keep you informed on the ongoing investigation.”

“Are you not staying for lunch?” Elijah asked, brows rising as he climbed similarly to his feet. “Chloe will be greatly disappointed.”

The smile on Connor’s face was strained, hand reaching out to the inventor mechanically. “I’m afraid we’ll have to decline. I’m sure Chloe has much to focus on, and I’d hate to impose.”

The inventor hesitated before shaking Connor’s hand, offering a short nod to the android as the two passed to the door. Nines was the last to exist, gaze turning back once more to the video footage with a soft frown pulled onto his lips.

Letting out a sigh, the detective moved to follow his brother out the door when a hand landed on his shoulder. Elijah’s gaze was heavy as he leaned into Nines shoulder, arm brushing the taller man’s bicep.

“If it becomes critically necessary, you can force Gavin into stasis by starting your command with the keyword ‘Lazarus’,” The inventor murmured, staring up at the uncomfortable detective hard lines drawn into his brow. “And know that if you bring Gavin back, I will not allow him to leave this property again.”

The detective’s breath stuttered as he stared at the other man. “...I will keep that in mind.”

Nodding, Elijah gave Nines’ shoulder a small pat before dropping his hand, remaining where he stood as he watched the detective's retreating back.

Hank stood outside, waiting at the car as he watched Connor speaking quietly with an upset Chloe. Their voices cut through the soft mid-morning breeze like sharp, hissing whispers. Either uncaring or outside of his business, the detective moved past the huddled pair to join Hank at the car.

“What’s wrong with Connor? He’s been acting strange this entire--”

“Connor and Chloe had been previously engaged,” Hank said matter-of-factly, LED circling yellow as he took an interest in the shining hood of the car.

“What?”

Nines stared at the android, shell-shocked as he waited for further explanation. None came. Only an uncomfortable silence as the pair waited for Connor to join them. Turning on his heel, Nines stared at Connor’s back as the two continued their hushed argument.

A sharp slap across the Lieutenant’s face rang through the open air of the morning. Chloe’s face was red with anger as she turned back into the house, slamming the heavy door in her wake.

Connor turned and met Nines eyes, looking away quickly in embarrassment. In shame.

“What?” Nines breathed again, shock melting into confusion as the gravel crunched beneath the approaching Lieutenant’s heel.

“We should get going,” Connor muttered, pushing past his brother tas he accepted the keys from Hank before climbing into the driver's seat. Hank waited as Nines stood frozen in his spot, staring at the back of his brother’s head in the window.

"C'mon kid," Hank muttered, LED settling on a solid yellow as he turned to open the backseat door. "We best hit the road."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Nines glanced back towards the house and frowned as he met Kamski's gaze. His stomach rolled as the inventor offered him only a curt nod and a wave, before disappearing back into the house. 

 

_"I will not allow him to leave this property again.”_

 

Fuck Kamski.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey guys. How's it hanging? Long time, no see.
> 
> The reception of this fic has been astonishing and humbling. Your continued support and encouragement is incredible. With that said, let me disappoint you:
> 
> (PLEASE READ) I had to retcon last chapter. In the previous chapter we were left off with a text from T.Chen saying "Gavin's missing, help ): " and a freaking out Nines. They were just leaving the Kamski estate and Chloe had given Connor a good slap in the mouth. 
> 
> I... will admit that the ending of that previous chapter, primarily the text, was a placeholder to allow me to decide where I wanted to go from there. I know the general motivations of Gavin, Kamski, and the main villian we've yet to see, but my plot outline sort of ran dry by the time we hit Kamski's manor. I also know how I /want/ this story to end, BUT the means of getting there was foggy.
> 
> So when I started writing this new chapter, I finally found a pacing and direction that worked for me. But to get to where we need to go, I had to rewrite the final few lines of the previous chapter. There is no need to reread the whole chapter if you don't want to. The general rundown is: Connor gets slapped, Nines is freaked, and they leave. 
> 
> That's it. If you go back, just look for where Chloe slaps our boy and go from there. It's give or take 100 words.
> 
> SO, with that said, here's the new chapter. If you decide to continue on with me and my edit doesn't turn you off, great! If it does, sorry man. Best of luck.

 

The ride back to the precinct was silent. Uncomfortably silent.

 

Sitting in the passenger seat, Nines stared out the window with his cheek in his hand, watching fields of snow fly by beneath heavy lids. Connor sat stiffly in the driver’s seat, staring straight ahead, fingers tight on the wheel. The red splotch on his cheeks existed like a beacon to countless questions, all of which remained trapped behind the fixed line of Nines’ lips.

Hank, by all appearances, had gone into stasis in the backseat. The LED at his temple circled a lazy yellow, indicating that he was likely working on paperwork , or avoiding the awkwardness that breathed down all of their necks.

Chancing a glance to his brother, Nines tried to ignore the churn of guilt in his gut as he zeroed in on the reddened flesh.

Of the three of them, Chloe’s slap seemed to have taken Nines the most by surprise. Connor had retrieved the keys from Hank without a word when he’d retreated to the car, expression dark and jaw set.

Hank only appeared sad, following Connor into the car without a word.

Despite how close the brothers had been growing up, they’d grown apart upon entering adulthood. Connor had always known he’d wanted to join law enforcement. Hell, as a child, he’d dressed up as a police officer for Halloween for a string of years, much to the amusement of their neighbors.

Nines, however, had been a lost soul.

While he had been just as gifted and promising as his brother (arguably more-so in many respects), the crisis-inducing question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” unsettled him, even to this day. Pride in his accomplishments and the many trials he’d succeeded could only supplement comfort for so long.

The future was terrifying. Planning or thinking about where to go from the carefully ordered schedule of preplanned schooling was an impossibility.

It was this sort of thinking that exemplified the dark, old cravings that often left him aching. The kind of thought process that had him wishing he could get one more hit before calling it quits again.

While Connor had flourished in college, Nines had tried to smother his issues with a pipe. Red ice never judged who you were or where you were going. It was the lifesaver that kept him afloat for a good number of years. The friendly haze that never pushed and made life worth living, even while hanging half-conscious off the edge of a couch.

But it was also an insipid, abusive lover. One that stripped him of his family as he fell victim to the comforts of the drug while forgoing contact. Robbed him of his education as he eventually chose to remain locked away in his apartment rather than attend lectures, ultimately resulting in his expulsion.

Nines lived only for that next hit. And he was happy with that. Content to live in the isolated, happy reality he found in a tiny baggie.

Unfortunately, much as he continued to do today, Connor had intervened. Intervened in his newly pressed uniform and sparkly badge.

Just remembering the disappointment in Connor’s face as he stared at Nines from the other side of the cell bars stung Nines’ eyes more than the bright snowbanks outside the car. At that moment, he had been forced to face his demons. To talk.

And, as much as Nines hated Connor for inserting himself into his younger brother’s life, it had helped.

Years of therapy, medication, and a guiding hand through the police academy had put Nines where he was today. Night school and ride-alongs blessed him with expertise that now unfairly rivaled the Lieutenant at his elbow.

If the red ice had been a life preserver, then Connor had been a goddamn boat.

So why was he struggling to reach out? To talk?

Fuck, he needed a cigarette.

“I can feel your eyes burning a hole into my face,” Connor muttered, jarring Nines out of his thoughts. Blushing in embarrassment in having been caught, Nines cleared his throat as he turned to face forward, unblind to the brown eyes watching him in the rearview mirror.

“You have questions,” Connor deduced, snorting in amusement as Nines’ ears reddened. “I was made a Lieutenant for a reason, Nines. One that went beyond ‘warming a Cyberlife android’s cock.’”

Shame lurched in Nines’ chest as he remembered their fight almost two months ago and the unfair, colorful opinion that he’d shared in front of the entire bullpen.

Fuck, he was a shitty brother.

“I realize--” Nines began, chewing on the inside of his lip as he tried to find a delicate way of posing his question. “I realize that I may not know you. That there was a time in which we lived very separate lives. And… And that, given earlier, Chloe was a large part of your life during that period.”

Nines didn’t need to glance over long to notice the way Connor tensed, shoulders going rigid as his lips pressed into an angry line. There was no need to clarify what Nines was referring to by ‘that time’. He could only hope that Connor had forgiven him, as selfish as the desire might be.

“…We dated through the end of college,” Connor murmured after a lull of silence. “She moved with me to Detroit when I enrolled in the police academy, and I proposed to her the night we celebrated my graduation. She was… We were expecting at that time.”

Nines blinked, looking at Connor in shock While he’d met Chloe briefly in the past, he hadn’t known that she was romantically involved with his brother, let alone that she was pregnant with his child.

Realization dawned in Nines as silence resumed, broken only by the roll of pavement beneath the car’s wheels.

“I’m sorry.”

Connor smiled sadly, perhaps bitterly, as he chanced a glance over to his brother. “On September 23rd, 2029, our son Cole was born. He died on September 24th. It… It changed us both.”

Connor swallowed thickly and glanced up into the rearview mirror toward his husband. Hank had opened his eyes during their conversation, watching Connor with that same sad expression that had followed him into the car at Kamski’s estate.

“I loved her,” Connor admitted softly, taking a deep breath as he adjusted his fingers on the wheel. “I still do, in a way. But I loved the woman I dated before we were wrecked by… It’s not fair. It wasn’t fair to either of us.

“I thought I could fix things. That, perhaps, we could heal together and try again to make a family when the time was right—when both of us were settled in our careers, and Cole’s death was properly mourned. But… There came a day when I arrived home to find her drawers cleared out and a ring on our kitchen table.”

Connor jumped slightly as Nines’ touched his elbow. A stuttered sigh passed over his lips as he half-released the wheel, allowing his hand to be taken into his brother’s.

“She left a simple message--a ‘I can’t do this anymore’, signed with an ‘I’m sorry’. She left me alone to deal with the death of our son and the loss of my fiancée in one fucking blow. Perhaps it is unfair of me to be as bitter as I am… She lost Cole, too, but… Aside from a few phone calls, I never saw her again. Not before today.”

“It’s not your fault, Connor.”

Connor turned a small smile toward Nines and squeezed his hand. He rolled his eyes back to the rearview mirror, hard gaze finally softening as he looked at Hank. “It wasn’t her fault, either. I’m… glad she’s happy. I’m happy too. I’m just a moron who let my emotions get the better of me earlier. I’ll apologize to her eventually.”

“I wish I was around back then,” Nines said, releasing Connor’s hand as they merged off of the highway.

“You’re here now,” Connor replied.. “All we can do is look towards the future.”

 

\-----

 

The precinct was quiet, much as it always was during shift changeover. Fading sunlight from the tall lobby windows cast their shadows across the tile as they headed into the bullpen.

Nines chose not to question the flutter of discomfort in his chest upon finding Gavin’s desk empty, terminal on standby in his absence. Tapping a finger on the screen, his nerves settled as he caught a glimpse of an email from Tina requesting Gavin’s assistance during her regular patrol.

They should be back soon, judging by the time of the email. Even androids had to get home to their families.

With a small nod to himself, Nines waved as Connor collected a few files and announced he would be going home with Hank. The offer to join them for dinner was politely declined with the wave of Nines’ hand and a ‘goodnight’.

Scooping up his coffee mug, Nines made a beeline for the breakroom, pleased to find it empty. The coffeemaker gurgled as it brewed a fresh cup, steam rising from the metal contraption in gentle puffs.

Reaching into a paper box on the counter, Nines nursed a half-stale doughnut as he waited, soaking in the quiet.

Unlike the tense car ride, this quiet soothed him, letting his mind settle. He considered following Connor’s lead and going home to get a good night’s sleep. He certainly needed it after a long string of restless nights.

Taking up the mug, Nines dumped an embarrassing amount of creamer and sugar into his coffee before retreating into the bullpen.

…Only to find Gavin sitting on the edge of his desk with a fresh bullet hole in his shoulder.

“Hello Detective.”

It was a miracle that Nines didn’t drop his mug in his surprise.

“What the fuck, Gavin!” Nines exclaimed, placing his mug and doughnut down on the nearest desk before rushing over. Gavin seemed unfazed, hands resting between his thighs as he stared up into Nines’ paling complexion.

“Did you have a nice trip?”

“You’re bleeding!” Nines yelled, hands shaking as he reached up to gently touch the oozing tear in Gavin’s uniform. The prodding did not appear to hurt Gavin, although Nines didn’t know if that meant that the wound wasn’t bad, or such injuries just didn’t cause pain responses in androids so long as they could otherwise function.

“It was a clean shot,” Gavin said, watching curiously as Nines pressed his palm over the hole, as if Gavin was in danger of bleeding out or losing consciousness from blood loss. “The bullet passed through and failed to hit any major components. My self-repair function has already cut off the simple thirium leak, so there is no need for that.” He jerked out of Nines’ hold.

Nines stared in horror, noting the oddly calm-looking blue cycling LED.

 

Nines looked down at the blue blood on his fingers - a sight he still found disturbing, particularly since it came from Gavin - and looked back up at the android. Nines frowned as he took in Gavin’s ambivalent expression. Gone was the abrasive, snarky attitude he had grown used to over the past month. In its place…

Indifference.

“...Are you alright, Gavin?”

Gavin frowned up at Nines, head cocked slightly to the side. “I am fine, Detective.”

“Nines,” a trembling voice called.

Nines looked towards Tina, who was fidgeting at the other end of the bullpen, expression troubled. Sucking in a breath, Nines stepped back and leveled Gavin with a hard glare. “Go get your shoulder patched up and return to your desk. I’ll deal with you later.”

The nod and ‘Yes, Detective’ made Nines angrier. Left a worse taste in his mouth than the stale, half-eaten doughnut.

 

He wanted to scream.

  
\------

 

After dragging Tina into a meeting room, Nines shut the door, and turned to see that Tina had retreated to the other side of the large table and raised her hands in defense.

“It’s not as bad as it looks!”

“ _Not as bad as it--?!_ He’s got a fucking bullet hole in his shoulder, Tina!” Nines yelled, taking a step around the table only to have his movements mirrored. He glared at her and , clenched his hands into fists.

“That’s not my fa—! “

Nines jaw set as he took another step around the edge of the table, unsurprised when she followed suit. “All I asked was for you to keep an eye on him, Tina! Give him some fucking busy work or see a movie! How the fuck is him **getting shot** on **your patrol** not your **fault**?!”

“Because he freaked the fuck out!” Tina snarled back, LED red as her cheeks grew faintly blue with agitation. “We went from having a nice conversation at an intersection, checking the speed of commuters, when he fucking bolted! Left the car door wide open after taking off!”

Nines paused in his prowling, brows knitting as he stared at Tina’s indignant pout. “What?”

“Dude, I don’t know! I ripped the keys out of the squad car and took off after him. Gavin’s stupid fast, Nines. Way faster than your average model! I managed to get close enough at one point to realize he was chasing some dude. Almost lost Gavin when he scurried over a chain link fence to cut the guy off.”

Nines’ anger settled into a simmer as he listened, fingernails digging into his palms.

“Who was he chasing?”

“I don’t know,” Tina huffed. “Guy’s getting processed for carrying an illegal weapon and firing on an officer.” She hugged herself as her glare fell to the metal table. “But… Fuck Nines. I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t gotten there in time, Gavin would have killed that guy.”

Nines’ anger faded away as fear returned.

“... Show me.”

Tina’s eyes widened in muted horror. “Nines, I--”

“Tina, this is a direct order,” Nines ordered sternly, crossing to a terminal situated on the far wall at the end of the table. “Show me.”

Tina hesitated, a protest fighting against her twitching lips. Her LED flickered between yellow, red, yellow, red in the brief pause, before ultimately settling into a solid yellow. She walked over and perched next to him on the table. The terminal activated at the flicker of her LED.

 

_“--I don’t fucking get it. Why wouldn’t Nines take me with him?”_

 

Nines tensed as Gavin appeared on the screen, slumped lazily in the passenger seat of a squad car. The camera bobbed with the movement of Tina’s head, tilting slightly to the left as she shrugged.

“Maybe it’s a personal thing. I don’t think it’s normal to take your coworkers with you when you get your teeth cleaned.” The view shifted briefly to the car’s scanner before returning to a pouting Gavin.

“I mean, he could’ve at least told me that he was going to be out. Maybe I should track his phone--”

“No!” Tina exclaimed, making Gavin jump in surprise. The LED at his temple flickered yellow as he stared at her, lips pressing into a line as suspicion washed over his face.

“What do you know, Tina?”

“W-what?” Tina laughed awkwardly. The camera moved back and Gavin unclipped his seatbelt and leaned back against the car door. He prodded her in the ribs with the toe of his boot.

She slapped it away with a breathy laugh. “Man, I don’t know. He said he had an appointment and then he hightailed it with Lieutenant Asshole and his metal husband. Don’t worry about Nines. He’ll be back before you know it.”

“If Nines had an appointment, why would they go with him?”

The camera bobbed as Tina shrugged, muttering something about humans being weird.

Gavin’s lips twisted into a pout, crossing his arms across his chest as he reclined, feet settling in Tina’s lap. Tina watched as Gavin closed his eyes, LED flickering yellow as the tension slowly melted from his face.

It was a good five minutes of Tina monitoring the speed of commuters during rush hour before Gavin yelled, startling both Nines and past Tina.

Gavin’s LED settled into a solid red, eyes blown wide in a sort of visceral terror that twisted in Nines’ gut. Shuffling back, Gavin righted himself in the passenger seat and made to grab for the door’s handle.

The camera surged forward as Tina grabbed his elbow. “Gavin!”

“H-he’s going to send me back!” Gavin yelled, tugging on her tight grip.

“Who? Send you wher--?!”

Gavin ripped his arm away, terror transforming into a fit of manic anger as he turned to glare at Tina. “You knew he was going to Kamski’s! You lied to me!”

“I told you to track his phone!” Tina groaned, before her tone became placating. “It’s for the investigation, Gav--”

“You lied!” Gavin spat, grabbing the handle of the car. “Even if he doesn’t fucking take me back, if Elijah finds out.... I-if he finds o-out--”

Gavin grew silent as he stared out the driver’s window toward a crowd of pedestrians waiting at a nearby crosswalk. The blue flush that had risen in his cheeks washed away as his expression went neutral.

“G-Gavin?” Tina asked, reaching out to touch him.

The LED at Gavin’s temple went yellow as Tina’s fingers touched empty air. Tina yelled as Gavin barrelled out of the car, leaving the door wide open as he sprinted away.

Tina cursed, killed the engine, and got out of the car. The camera bobbed wildly as she gave chase on foot, doing her best to weave around pedestrians as she stared at the back of Gavin’s retreating uniform.

A man was running ahead of Gavin, shoving people to the ground as he tried to put distance between himself and his pursuer. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep track of the two as they entered the shopping district, diving into the crowds of bag-ladened shoppers.

It was only luck that Tina noticed Gavin climbing over a fence, movements too agile and inhuman. By the time Tina managed to reach the fence, Gavin had already dropped to the alley on the other side and continued to run.

“Gavin! Shit, Nines is going to kill me...”

Readying herself with a huff, Tina shimmied up the fence in pursuit, continuing to curse under her breath in the process. By the time she had made it to the turn in the alleyway, Gavin had vanished.

**“Fuck!”**

 

_Bang!_

 

The camera went still for a moment as Tina tensed, before rocketing forward as she chased the sound of the gunshot.

 

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

 

_“Get the fuck away from me, you psycho!”_ yelled an unfamiliar, gruff voice from nearby. The sound of an empty chamber clicking echoed off the stone walls before the wet crunch of bone breaking followed.

The unfamiliar voice screamed.

Rounding the final bend of the alley, Tina froze as she stared at the glowing DPD emblem on the back of Gavin’s uniform. A human was at his feet, holding his arm as he screamed. His gun was on the ground, out of reach.

The screaming was cut short when Gavin knelt down and punched the human in the jaw. Over and over and over and--

“Gavin!” Tina yelled, racing forward to grab his wrist as he pulled back to strike again. Gavin glanced back at her, face as neutral as it had been shortly before his explosive exit from the squad car.

“This man tried to kill me,” Gavin said, mechanically. “He works for Pokrovsky,” His limbs grew limp as he relaxed under Tina’s tight grasp.

Nines swallowed the lump in his throat, knuckles tight on the edge of the table behind him. “They called him Buck back at the Graveyard when I found Gavin,” he muttered. “He was there.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Gavin?!” video Tina yelled, camera shaking in her anger. In her fear. “We don’t try to k-kill suspects! If you need to arrest him, cuff him or hold him down so I can do it!”

Gavin stared at her passively, LED remaining a solid yellow. The LED flickered red before he climbed to his feet, pulling his wrist away. “I have contacted an ambulance to pick him up. I want to head back to the precinct to meet up with Detective Stern.”

“What the fuck,” video Tina breathed, looking down to the human laying on the alley floor. “What the fuck…?”

Nine released a breath as the video paused.

“ _Something is wrong with Gavin,_ ” Tina repeated gently, arms tightening around herself as she remained perched on the table. “He’s… something is wrong.”

 

Nines continued to stare at the screen, frozen in place.

**Author's Note:**

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